Ink Stains of the Warring States
by paynesgrey
Summary: These are a collection of short drabbles and ficlets from the series Inuyasha, with various themes and pairings. Please enjoy! Warning: Alternate pairings might pop up.
1. Together, Hellfire Can’t Burn Us

AN: Started to do the drabble thing. Gives me something to do on down times at work. Especially with plot bunnies scurrying around in my head. Who knows, drabbles could become later inspirations for stories. Hope you enjoy. Don't kill me if you don't like the pairing. Keep an open mind please.

Inu Yasha Drabbles

Title: Together, Hellfire Can't Burn Us  
Pairing: Inu Yasha/Kikyo  
Genre: Romance  
Notes: Inu Yasha and Kikyo share special words.  
Word Count: 99

He will always love her. Her life gave him meaning even after fifty years.

Knowing the truth of what kept them apart, they could finally have another chance.

Knowing about her temporary life, Inu Yasha couldn't just let her go.

"Please stay with me, tonight," she was feeling selfish. But he subdued her eternal loneliness.

"Yes, I won't leave you," he reassured, embracing her and letting her snuggled into his chest like always.

"Ever?" Kikyo worried, thinking of Kagome.

"I won't leave you, ever," he said. His kind voice soothed her. "Even in hell, I'll endure it with you."

Thanks for reading!


	2. So Good Drabble

**AN: Here's another Drabble! Little more smutty than the last one. Different pairing too...Hope you like it!**

**Title:** So Good  
**Pairing:**Inuyasha/Kagome  
**Rating:** R  
**Genre:** romance/smut  
**Word Count:** 100  
**Summary:**

He didn't bother to sniff. Her musk scent enraptured him.

Saturated red lips trailed over him, and he indulged in her kneading of his hot flesh.

In all her innocence, Inu Yasha never imagined her to do this, to give him this gift.

The virgin miko gracefully dipped her head down to the growing nova of his desire.

He roughly stroked her head in his lap. She moaned.

Desire seized him, calling to unshackle his suppressed beast. His legs shook in random spasms. She continued to nurse him. Her tongue wrapped around him like drenched silk.

"Kagome, you are so…good."


	3. Kissing in the Dark

Title: Kissing in the Dark  
Pairing: Kagome/Inu Yasha  
Rating: PG  
Genre: Romance  
Words: 100

**Kissing in the Dark**

His soles scuffed against Kagome's windowsill. Lightly, Inuyasha had bounded into the sweet portal of her room.

Immediately, her finger pads scanned him - an addiction of her senses. Cupping his cheeks, her lips slid with arbitrary moisture into his.

Their bodies betrayed their innocent tongues, transferring their deep desires through melding heat. The dark room, once silent, was now engulfed in needy breaths.

Somewhere, a wind chime leaned into the wind.

Halting hunger and remembering their true roles, they pushed apart reluctantly, their eyes betraying their abstinence.

Duty and youth only poisoned opportunity. Someday, their lips would know more.

Fin


	4. Warrior

**Title: Warrior**

Author: quirkyslayer

Genre: General

Rating: G

Word Count: 100

Eyes narrowed at the large intruder. She was distressed at the Red and Silver One's presence.

She sniffed; this was HER territory, and she would expel her rival.

From today on, her mistress would pet only her.

From the top of a wooden shelf, she let out a warrior's yowl. The Red and Silver One covered his ears in slight pain.

Suddenly, she jumped at her rival, latching on and smothering his face with her round belly.

"Damn, cat! Get off me!" Inu Yasha yelled, as he struggled to get Kagome's house cat off his face. Buyou meowed in victory.

Fin


	5. Birds and Bees

AN: Here's another drabble. It won second place in iyfanfic's first drabble contest on live journal. I love it to pieces!

Title: Birds and Bees  
Word Length: 988  
Genre: Humor/Parody  
Pairing: none  
Summary: Rin asks a tough question of Jaken.

Resting against a smooth rock, Jaken relaxed, hoping the afternoon would be a quiet one, and he dreaded Rin's usual never-ending stream of useless questions.

He knew his quiet afternoon wasnull when he saw the excited little creature run up to him with a toothy grin.

"Jaken-sama!" She yelled trying to get his attention as he quickly avoided her gaze.

"What is it?"

She inhaled a deep breath. Jaken winced knowing her chatter would be long winded as usual. "Where do babies come from? I mean, I know they come from a mommy's belly because I've seen them in the village, but how do they get there? I mean, how do they get inside? Is it something she eats? I THINK her mouth would be too small to fit a whole baby in there. But it must grow from small to big in her belly, so how does the small baby get in there in the first place so it can grow? And where does it go when the baby comes out?"

"SILENCE, CHILD!" Jaken screamed shutting Rin up and then turning away. Out of all the questions of the world, she had to ask that one. He had to avoid it as soon as possible. "I have no time to answer such a silly question for you, lowly human! I am my Lord's trusted servant, not a babysitter or teacher!"

Rin's vibrant smile fell into a pout. Her eyes began to moisten. "But, Jaken-sama, you don't look busy. You're just lying here. You surely have time to tell me. You're so very smart, so I'm sure you would know."

Jaken beamed at the compliment, but then his face changed quickly to annoyance. She was obviously buttering him up so she could get an answer from him. Well, he wasn't going to fall for it!

"Yes, I am very smart, but Lord Sesshoumaru is smarter. Ask him where babies come from," Jaken said, feeling some weight lift off his shoulders. He hated to unload the question onto his master, but it was Lord Sesshoumaru who wanted to keep the child in the first place. It should be his responsibility to educate her.

"But he's not here and always busy and you're here and I know you know and I wanna know now!" she whined. He saw her pouting lip again.

He sighed in defeat. "Well…you see…" he glanced over at her expectant brown eyes and felt weak, not just at her intense concentration but at the knowledge that Lord Sesshoumaru might kill him or seriously injury him if he didn't indulge in the young girl's every whim. He suppressed a shudder as he remembered the cold steel of his master's blade slicing into him. No, he certainly didn't want that again.

So he supposed he could tell Rin something just to get her off his back.

"Well…there's a mommy toad youkai and a daddy toad youkai…" He sounded stupid for saying it, but he had to say it for Rin to understand. She unexpectedly giggled at him.

"No, silly, not where toad babies come from, where to human babies come from?" Rin continued to giggle.

Jaken groaned with nausea. There's NO WAY he was going to explain those disgusting mating human rituals to Rin. He shook his head. "I don't know!"

Rin started to cry. "Yes you do! You're so smart, Jaken-sama! Please tell me!"

Amongst all her caterwauling, Jaken lost his composure and yelled, "Stop this behavior at once! I'm not going to tell you about how those disgusting dirty humans mate …"

Rin looked at him with saucer-sized eyes. Her mouth curled into a curious "O" as some sacred knowledge was just handed to her.

Jaken slapped himself in the forehead for the slip up and mumbled some curse words. Rin looked at him expectantly. He feared the next words from her mouth.

"Jaken-sama, what does "mate" mean?"

Rin continued to wait patiently for his explanation, but then Jaken fell over into a slight coma on the ground. Suddenly, another returning member of their team distracted her.

"Sesshoumaru-sama! Welcome back!" She bubbled. Sesshoumaru looked down at her beaming face with his normal impassive expression. Seeing that he was not going to respond, Rin continued to talk. "Jaken-sama and I are talking about babies. He was going to tell me about where babies come from, but then you showed up. I'm so glad you're back!" And as she rambled on about how glad she was to see him and what kind of flowers she picked, her words cruised onto a touchy tangent. "Sesshoumaru-sama, you are so smart! Do you know where babies come from? What does "mate" mean? Jaken-sama said you are smarter than him that you would know! What does it mean?"

Adoring eyes peered into him. Sesshoumaru felt frozen in his place. His face did not waver, but he turned his head to Jaken, who was standing up from the ground to bow to him. Then, Jaken began to tremble under his lord's gaze.

"Jaken…" Sesshoumaru said finally. Jaken nodded and then chirped out an affirmation. "Please see to Rin. I will be back later. I sense some danger again."

Then he flew off quickly. Jaken felt dread knot up in his stomach.

He turned around, and his eyes met Rin's expectant gaze.

Great. Now he had no choice but to tell the child everything he could until she was satisfied. In light of recent events, his lord's cold piercing blade was looking rather attractive to him.

In another part of the forest not far from Rin and Jaken, Sesshoumaru halted and descended to the ground. He stood in the middle of the forest alone sensing if anyone was around. When the coast was clear, he replayed the recent events with Rin's questions in his head.

Then, the stoic fearless dog demon let out a deep sigh.

'Phew, that was a close one.'

Fin


	6. Blockade to Heaven

Here's another Kikyo drabble. I hope you like it!

**Title: Blockade into Heaven**

**Author: quirkyslayer**

**Genre: Angst/Drama**

**Rating: G**

**Word Count: 100**

'Release us...' they all pleaded from the abyss.

She heard so many unwilling voices tethered to her.

She gritted her teeth in annoyance.

Daughters, mothers, and grandmothers...they were all there, captive to the borrowed magic of Hades. She felt better knowing they were strangers.

She listened to the inauspicious desires of her unsaturated mind, shoving the voices aside beyond her conscience's reach.

If she could, maybe she would cry for them.

"I'm sorry, but I have to keep you a little longer," she said, but pity was absent from her voice.

Their ascension would be delayed unless she willed it.

Fin


	7. Ghosts of Finality

The word count is 696. It was intended for a contest, but I really went my own way with it. I like the extended version much better than the 200 word version, which I'm not going to post. I hope you enjoy this version!

HUGS

quirkyslayer

* * *

**Ghosts of Finality**

Violet eyes shot wide open in the hot summer night, and he inhaled suddenly as a cold sweat submerged him. His mouth was dry, and his chest rumbled in a shiver.

He had that dream again - the dream about the strange girl who looked like his wife but wore a strange clothing. Her smiles was more childlike than his wife's smiles, and her eyes beamed brightly on all that they had captured.

The same images, backgrounds and conversations, accompanied her in his dream. Like before, she would hand him the legendary Shikon no Tama, give him a smile fully of unlimited trust, and then say, "It's yours now. I did it all for you."

Then the scene in his dream would shift, and the strange girl would say. "Don't you wish we could all just start over? Don't you wish to see a life where the jewel never hurt anybody?" She talked casually. Her voice was filled with love for him.

But he could not remember her.

Scrunching his forehead in frustration, he sat up in his futon, trying to snag all the disjointed images in his brain of the girl who plagued him night after night. His wife shifted next to him on their cottage floor.

He wondered about himself in his dream. He wasn't human, but he appeared to be some kind of hanyou, desperate for more power and to protect this strange girl.

He remembered she once looked at him sadly but confidently, "I like you as you are, as a hanyou." As enduring as that was, it still was unsettling to him.

Quickly, he looked at his hands, expecting claws to be there. His fingers were callosed, and his nails were dull. They appeared to be innocent human hands, incabable of spilling the blood that he imagined in his dreams.

When he was about to look away from his hands, he thought he saw a ghost of pink jewel flash before him as his eyelids blinked.

The jewel.

Whatever it was, the shadow on his hand was gone. The image of the jewel ingrained itself softly into the recesses of his mind. And in each memory, the strange girl held it out to him, willingly.

"Take the Shikon no Tama. Everyone deserves a second chance."

"What should I wish for?" He felt in his heart that he wanted to be with her somehow. But, he couldn't be selfish.

The strange girl turned sadly from him and looked at a lifeless miko on the ground. He could never see the miko's face, but he had a strange feeling the woman was his wife.

"Everyone deserves a second chance," the strange girl repeated, and even though this was true, he could see in her eyes she was deeply hurt by this. She placed the Shikon no Tama in his hand and squeezed him lovingly. "Please wish wisely."

Strangely, he remembered what she once said about a life where the jewel caused nobody any pain. Then he made a wish.

The strange girl he thought he loved vanished before his eyes. And soon, the memory of her form, her scent, her smile was a concrete as a cloud.

"Don't forget me, Inu Yasha," her voice echoed in a breeze.

Wetness ebbed on the corner of his eyes and trailed down his cheeks.

His wife stirred awake, and she looked at him with concern. "Inu Yasha, what's wrong?"

He looked at her and gave her a reassuring smile as she trailed her fingers through his black hair.

He smiled and shook his head. "It's nothing, Kikyo. Just a bad dream. Go back to sleep."

She gave him one last long look of concern before cradling under the groove of his arm and chest.

As he felt the warmth of his wife, he closed his eyes in some strange fleeting discontent.

His mind scrambled to trace the image of the strange girl again. He inwardly sighed in disappointment, feeling like he was committing some kind of betrayal. "I'm sorry...who ever you are..." he felt a twitch in his chest as some far away memory soundlessly retched in agony. "I have forgotten you."

Fin

AN: I was in the mood for another Kikyo/Inu Yasha drabble. It must be a phaze. This one is sad though. If Inu Yasha ended up with Kikyo and not Kagome, it MUST be sad. Otherwise, if he WERE to be happy with Kikyo, Kagome should be happilywith his brother. Hehehehe...


	8. Kagome's Mom Has Got it Going on

Title: Kagome's mom has got it going on

Author: quirkyslayer

Word count: 198

Genre: Semi-smut

He lightly knocked on the door, and the petite woman answered the door with a warm smile.

"Hello, is Kagome here?" He looked around nervously to see if anyone was around. "I came to bring her something." His voice started to sound systematic and rehearsed.

The woman continued to smile brightly. "No one is here at the moment, but wouldn't you like to come in for some tea?" Mrs. Higurashi asked.

His lips pursed together in growing smile, and he nodded.

She led him inside, and after taking a quick look around the house, his eyes settled on her.

His eyes followed her movements as she began to remove her apron. He felt almost giddy.

"I'm so glad you came over today, Hojo-kun," Mrs. Higurashi said in a desperate voice ebbing on sexual frustration. "I've been so lonely."

He stood frozen, hypnotized to the impending events.

Swallowing a lump, he began to feel rather warm, indulging in the hot, carnal impulses jolting in his body.

He loosened his collar.

Mrs. Higurashi turned around to him, deciding to help him feel more at home. She rested her hands below his navel and began undoing the zipper of his pants.

FIN


	9. Asymmetry

Pairing: Inuyasha/Kagome

Word Count: 262

**Asymmetry**

By the painterly hands of nature, their bodies were not created to be the same. Separately, they appeared almost alien to one another, and side by side they were rendered asymmetrical. Even shadows would cast strange shapes upon them heightening their differences.

Apart they were so unalike, but together ...

"Ungh," Kagome moaned as Inuyasha slid into her with slippery ease. Suddenly, they coiled together as one, putting all differences aside.

Inuyasha grunted, slowed, slightly retracted, and pushed upward, gaining another cry of satisfaction from his lover.

She was so unlike him; her skin was soft and her body was fragile. He feathered his fingers lightly over her moist skin fearing she would break.

She fit so tightly around him, and though her parts were different than his, her body was the fitting piece to his puzzle. She made a bold motion and rocked into him.

"Yes ..." she hissed, gripping her hands tightly over his sinewy chest and shoulders.

His once steady strokes heightened erratically. Her body's motions synchronized with his, and he thanked the God responsible for giving Kagome such a luscious, curvaceous body different from his own so that he could enjoy it. His own body was angular and course, only soft and amorphous in between so he could readily mold into her whenever he chose.

Innately, she was modest and meek whereas he was passionate and forthcoming. They were not supposed to be similar, but in the end, differences were lost in the heated convergence. Their unity would always solidify, marked by a climactic fruition of howling white.

XD


	10. Betrayal is Messy

AN: This is a Nar/Kag drabble. If you don't like that pairing then move along. Although, I would recommend sticking around for the writing style, since I think it's pretty good. Also, some of my drabbles might seem a bit "weird." I do apologize for that since I'm usually writing for a particular theme. I've gotten a few "WTF?" reviews lately and I thought I'd clear that up. Plus, I'm pretty weird to begin with and the drabbles are an excuse to get the psycho plot bunnies out of my head.

This drabbletied for 2nd place in the 3rd warm-up contest at Inuyasha Issekiwa Yahoo Group.

* * *

**Title: Betrayal is Messy**

**Author: Quirkyslayer**

**Word Count: 200**

**Genre: Angst/Horror**

**Warning: Violence and sexual inferences**

If he could remember his mother, she might have said, "If you don't like how messy blood is, lick it off."

'And she tasted good.' He frowned, thinking and sniffing. 'The other one did not.'

But he had to expel both. He had come upon them unexpectedly. Surprised, he was enraged with their play.

With their kinesis of carnality, the scene had painted the woman's guilt.

Nobody betrayed him and was allowed to further breathe.

Still, he had been fascinated with them, crouching, watching, behind the bushes like a vibrating snake.

Curiously, he wondered, 'Did he fit better inside her than I did?' Grinning in the shadows, he rubbed his sticky fingers together. His mind sullied with the perfect scheme.

His thoughts transformed. Strangers fed him riddles, and he produced a sudden fascination to rake his fingernails in their viscous fluids.

Hollow eyes flared. Energy extended. Their last pants were fast approaching, and he no longer cowered behind their rapturous scene.

He laughed at pieces of flesh, saturated in burgundy by the mid-afternoon sun.

Kagome defied him. She had promised to give up his enemy and come to HIM.

The mesh of blood and sex… it was Naraku's favorite smell.

Fin


	11. Stranger

AN: Here's another drabble of mine. Enjoy!

**Title: Stranger**

**Author: quirkyslayer**

**Genre: Minor Character**

**Word Count: 248**

**Rating: PG**

She brought her visitor water. He stared silently at the patterns in her carpet as he took the glass from her. Her eyes simmered with concern.

She must be crazy letting a stranger into her place!

Strangely, she felt perhaps this was fate. She inwardly laughed.

She wasn't anyone special. She was just some schoolgirl.

The stranger ran his fingers through his silky white hair. Pale violet eyes ascended from the spot on the floor to her worried face. Her visitor flashed her a grateful smile. She felt her face besieged by a hot blush.

"Thanks…um…?"

"Eri… my name is Eri," she squeaked quickly.

The white haired stranger she had found on the street was handsome. But who was he? He didn't appear to be Japanese.

"Um…where are you from? Are you lost?" She asked, her voice shivering.

He shook his head. He still smiled, but his eyes still remained devoid of little truth and reality.

"I don't remember," he grabbed the sides of his head in frustration, as if pounding the outer shell of his head would dislodge shards of his lost memories.

Yet, there was something he remembered.

"I only remember my name. That's it," his voice heightened with some confidence that he owned at least one thing. "It's Hakudoushi."

Eri extended her hand to him, "Pleased to meet you."

He was gracious to his new friend, but why did he suddenly feel in some disjointed fibers of his mind to just rip her face off?

Fin


	12. Toad is a Delicacy

AN: Here's another drabble. It won first place at Inu Yasha Issekiwa for it's first theme. I'm rather proud of this one, and I hope you all enjoy it as well.

Title: Toad is a Delicacy  
Author: quirkyslayer  
Word Count: 200  
Genre: Humor  
Topic: Food  
Rating: G  
Warnings: None, unless you're a vegetarian

* * *

**Toad is a Delicacy**

Suddenly, Jaken was shaken out of his pensive pose with a delicate  
tap to his shoulder. He groaned audibly, and turned around to the  
grinning child. She unceremoniously shoved food into his face.

"Jaken-sama," she offered. "Want some?"

Jaken observed the object obstructing his view. His eyes widened in  
horror at the dead animal roughly impaled on a knobby stick.

It was quite treacherous. The poor toad never had a chance.

"Do you like cooked frog? Sesshoumaru-sama found it, and I caught  
it!" Her face was enraptured in overbearing pride.

Jaken shivered, feeling sudden empathy for it, which was probably  
just some innocent woodland toad. His stomach retched as he pondered  
the possible family tie he had to this creature, whether it was a  
youkai or not.

Suddenly, a vision imprinted his brain of Lord Sesshoumaru shoving a  
skewer through him and twirling his carcass over a raging fire as  
the human brat danced for her meal.

His forehead began to sweat.

Rin noticed his distress, and asked innocently, "What's the matter,  
Jaken-sama? Did you know him? Was he your cousin?"

Jaken paled, toppling onto the ground in unabashed astonishment.  
Sesshoumaru, somewhat listening to them, cocked an amused brow.

FIN


	13. Good Boy

AN: Another drabble. This won third place in the Inu Yasha Issekiwa "Jokes" weekly contest. The word count limit was 200.

* * *

**Good Boy**

'Feh…' He snorted, crossing his arms and glaring at her. Kagome continued to flash him the world's most brilliant, annoying grin.

"What are you up to?" He barked at her.

She pouted deviously. He felt a sting in his chest. He HATED when she pouted like that.

"Oh, c'mon, Inu Yasha. It's supposed to fun!" she readied the bright, shiny disk in her hand. Inu Yasha lost to his pride and followed the object with his eyes.

Well, at least it was shiny…

It was red, and had a strange picture of a dog's head on it with its tongue hanging out.

He sniffed and puffed his chest out in offense. 'I NEVER stick my tongue out!'

Suddenly, his train of rational thought was pushed aside as his wild, unbridled instincts conquered him.

She launched the disk in the air, and it glided farther and farther, cutting through the wind as escaping prey. "Fetch!"

Without hesitation, he bounded after it, crouching on all fours and dutifully pursuing it with happy breaths. He inched closer to it and snatched it with a triumphant bite.

"Good boy!" Kagome shouted. Then, Inu Yasha's face fumed as he realized the joke was on him.

Fin


	14. Swords and Pearls

**Title: Swords and Pearls  
**Author: quirkyslayer  
Word Count: 890  
Warnings: none  
Rating: PG  
Summary: _All who had ever pulled swords from stones were considered to be heroes._

The King of Dogs had fallen to his knees before the fidgeting retainer. He was sighing and bleeding, and the small retainer looked at him mournfully. His face was retreating into the shadows under his hunched form. He had such little time left to live, and his life swung back and forth into existence. His body began to deteriorate from burn marks and hollow skin from loss of blood. He didn't even remember how he had gotten this far, away from the burning castle that was almost his fiery grave.

Life. Death. Life. Death. It was the swinging pendulum of his fate. Wounds may have been mortal, but regrets swelled in eternity.

If only he cold live longer to see the boy's face and one day hear him say, "Father…"

If only he could hear his other son finally smile and say with acceptance, "Brother…"

He wanted to bargain with the keepers of life and death for just a few more decades of breath. Then, he could hold HER again, but then as he started to daydream, he felt his wishes were only becoming selfish. He let out a cry of pain mixed with laughter.

His thoughts were only wasting his precious time.

With a final bout of strength, he drew the swords and their sheaths from his belt and loosely threw them to the ground. He felt his charred fingers turning to ash as he violated their fragility with a tight grip.

His servant gasped. "My Lord!" The Dog King collapsed, chewing on those last smoky breaths that would allow him to speak only for a moment, and then his soul was to be carried away. His hazy golden eyes looked through the darkness of the forest as his servant cried beside him. The forms of his ancestors beckoned him to them. It was his time to come.

"Myoga…" Inu Taisho had said. The small little flea became quiet to his master's attention. "Take these. You and Totosai will know what to do. Seal Souunga away, and Sesshoumaru is to receive Tenseiga." He coughed, causing Myoga to appear even more concerned. "Do you understand?"

Myoga nodded warily. He felt the wind pick up and circle around his master. His master was dying, bringing an inevitable backlash of immense power. He had to leave fast, flee the spot where his master lie and escape the great amount of energy that would be released from his departing soul.

Clouds massed heavily around the sky above them, suffocating the brilliant moon and picking up wind and power from the damp evening air. Energy crackled spears of lightning around him, and Myoga took off in a hurried bounce. He found shelter in a tree, still in sight but just out of reach from the reckless dispersal of energy that accompanied his master's death. He felt his own small tears sucked off his cheeks and into the whirlwind of chaos.

A great dog demon was dying, and the whole earth would be forced to cry.

Later …

The dust had finally settled. Only residual whispers were left from the chaos that had culminated around the surroundings from the Dog King's corpse. Among three swords that lie on the ground before the towering skeleton, one sword began to glow and levitate off the ground. It buzzed silently slicing through the frigid wind and disappearing within the decaying networks inside the monumental form. Somewhere inside the massive demon dwelled a round smooth stone. In a piercing jolt, a flash of light slashed through the stone and impaled its rocky husk with one might strike. The blade poised ethereally, and stood in the stone awaiting a great wielder.

All who had ever pulled swords from stones were considered to be heroes.

With reunion of bone on bone, the skeleton massed a final bout of energy and imploded, molding itself into a small tiny black pearl.  
The black pearl dropped to the ground with a soft tweak, rolling over to join the sides of its kindred.

Myoga and Totosai had finally arrived to see nothing remaining of their master. With awed faces, they looked around the barren area to find no trace of him. All that was left was two of his three swords. Totosai had picked them up, handling them with sentimental care and staring at them with a pensive face. He knew what they needed to do.

"Where is Tetsusaiga?" Myoga pondered aloud, paying no heed to the austere black pearl that blended in with the scattered debris.

Myoga shook his head, turning heel and walking toward the lands of the West. "It appears that our master has already taken care of it." If he knew his master well, he knew that he was true to his intentions.

The youngest son will have the Tetsusaiga fang.

Myoga bounced after him, nervously chatting about avoiding the older brother's poison claws when presenting him with only one of the three swords. The third sword would also be urgently taken care of, sealed away so no one would dare encounter such a terrible thing.

And as the two remaining servants of the Dog King departed, the lonely black pearl on the ground gave off a faint glow, stealing sunshine and then hiding behind dust.

The wind sighed, and the pearl was gone.

Somewhere far away, an infant began to cry.


	15. The Blood Festival

Title: The Blood Festival

Author: quirkyslayer

Word Count: 200

Genre: Horror/Angst

Rating: PG-13

Fire burned throughout the town. Entrails splattered on heavy trodden ground. Two hundred breaths ago, the village had been surging with jubilant laughter. People had been dancing.

Back then nobody had bled.

Kohaku choked on the thick rancid air, the viscous fluids in his nostrils assimilating the product of his shame, the marker of his guilt.

The roar of demons had stifled the echoing laughter of the villagers as they ravaged them. They had begun innocently celebrating a festival for a new princess. Their minds hadn't fathomed that they were an obstruction for a powerful, rampaging half demon.

The infant princess was probably dead now as well.

Kohaku let his tears run down his face. He didn't even attempt to stop them anymore. He always had to listen to Naraku, no matter how many sins he committed in the befores and afters.

Watching fresh blood run down his sickle, he prayed for the warm body that had hosted it.

He would never consider festivals the same way again. Then again, if he ever were to falter, he may never get the chance to see one. The haunting spirits of those he nullified would never allow him to enjoy one anyway.


	16. The Warm Wind

**The Warm Wind  
**Theme: Unrequited Love

They were both birds in tow, flying freely but always aware of the shackles against their paper-thin ankles. The evil "he" dangled them as marionettes.

But they were always dancing the thin line of betrayal...together.

'_Be careful, Kohaku. If you betray Naraku, it's all over.'_

Her attentions to him always warmed him. He knew that she was bred a calm unfeeling monster, but when she lifted him up onto her feather he felt heat coming from her hands.

_Kohaku ..._ Her raspy voice was tender for him, protective.

They both desired identical revenge and freedom. And sometimes he knew, that she watched over him, fighting for him to have that freedom also.

He watched her from her back, the wind swimming softly around the tendrils of her brown hair.

'Ane-ue has brown hair too.'

Sometimes, Kagura would look back at him with burning red eyes. Beyond all the fury, he would see her deep concern for him. He inwardly melted, feeling an alleviation of loneliness.

She was here... with him.

Just once, he wanted to rest his head on her back and feel her regard for him. Would she turn to him and embrace him? Could they share a moment where they could link their mutual forlorn existence and become as one?

But he never had the spirit to do so. He could only suck in the secondary wind that passed her in front and flowed over him.

He was only a mere boy, after all.

FIN


	17. His Skin

**Title: His Skin**

**Theme: Naraku**

**Word Count: 225**

**Pairing: Naraku/Sesshoumaru**

He watched as his tentacles squeezed his prey. Silver hair peaked out in tuffs underneath the wrapping coils. His prey did not struggle. He could feel his tentacles stroking at his soft heated skin through torn clothing.

Beautiful.

Not only did Naraku want to his absorb him, he wanted to feel him, to pet him and soak in all that silkiness of his husk that only his eyes could touch. Imagination was nothing compared to the delicate sensations produced by a mesh of contact.

His skin had never been so porous. Even when he was a thief, he could remember his charred limbs, his skin crumbling to ash with a chronic adversity to moisture.

In all the demons he had assimilated, none of them could give him the smooth texture as HIS skin. He wanted it so badly he almost itched himself.

He pondered. If his rough, muscular chest had been so smooth, what of the feel of tender skin he had hidden away? He shivered restlessly. He wanted desperately to caress all of it, every highlight, every shadow.

But Sesshoumaru resisted, sending his tentacles flying in pieces away from the heavenly pulses of his skin.

Naraku smirked obsessively, still confident he would capture him. 'Careful now, pet,' he inwardly purred. 'If you don't behave, I won't be quite as gentle once I have you.'


	18. Warm and Wet

Theme: Secret

Word Count: 200

Genre: Smut

Rating: M

Squicks: Some sexual references, homoerotic thoughts and descriptions, very un-canon pairing

AN: Don't kill me because you don't like the pairing. Quirkyslayer LOVES experimenting with alternate pairings (except Inu/San, makes me cringe for some damned reason).

* * *

**Warm and Wet**

The first time, she huffed in annoyance. 'What did he see in her anyway?' Her deep grass eyes studied her glistening milk skin. Water glazed over her like sparkling silk. Her annoyance disappeared.

Vertigo snatched her internal breath.

The second time, she craved another glimpse, even if it meant a long journey from the mountains.

She ran her fingers through her own hair when Kagome did. She sighed. Kagome's fingers were moist while hers were bone dry.

Though, she would make them moist.

After the next time and the next, she still came. She wondered what HE would do if he could see such a sight. Kagome's body was slick from the spring, and she wondered how warm and wet she really was.

The last time, she broke a twig. Fright and humiliation lodged in her throat. Kagome heard the noise, and she looked around frantically with her eyes alert and ablaze.

"Ayame! Why are you here?" Kagome asked, startled by her voyeur's true identity. She saw the girl's shoulders relax. Should she really relax though? Guilt gnawed at Ayame's vocal cords.

Even as she sneered at her, Ayame's bright blush betrayed her. She knew her deepest secret was exposed.


	19. Yet Another Defeat

Theme: Jealousy

Word Count: 250

Genre: Introspection/humor/waff

* * *

**Yet Another Defeat**

Kouga sighed. It was one of those sickening evenings with dog breath's group, and as usual, he was left feeling like he didn't belong.

Sitting next to Kagome, he watched her movements and the things that kept her interest. He growled when the majority of her interest was with a certain rival.

'Is it because he has a bigger sword?' Kouga asked, but then he realized knowing Kagome, that maybe size didn't really matter.

'Is it because he met her first?' Fate was a bastard sometimes. If only he had been the one pinned to the tree, would she be with him instead? It was always about first come first serve, wasn't it? He grunted.

'Is it because he's not readily available?' He mused, thinking of the dead priestess that the hanyou often ran off to see, leaving poor Kagome alone when he was overflowing in love for her. Would she rather have someone that didn't always pay attention to her? He scratched his chin.

He didn't know the reason, but he always felt defeated. Kouga showed her affection, was open to her, protected her, and fought with and for her. Why didn't he ever win?

Following her eyes to the top of Inu Yasha's head, he was brought out of his reverie from an obvious revelation. He basked in Kagome's adoring, innocent grin. He crossed his arms in yet another defeat.

"It's the ears, isn't it?" Koga said aloud, gaining from her a prompt and dreamy sigh of affirmation.


	20. Coming of Death

**Theme: Laughter**

**Pairing: Sango/Kohaku**

**Squicks: WARNING: DO NOT READ IF YOU ARE EASILY OFFENDED BY INCEST! NO FLAMES!**

* * *

**Beta: Numisma**

**Coming of Death **

He was nothing more than hollow, but she could feel ragged breath indicating that he was alive. She dug her fingers into his marred flesh as she held him. He was warm there, and the blood was fresh on his back. She squished her fingers into him to know the shard was still there, ready for her.

All she had to do was release him.

Kohaku leaned against her panting. His life expiring, a monetary thought had crossed her mind. Her tears fell knowing he'd die before ever feeling a woman's touch. There was still time without need for volunteers.

She was already here.

She felt naked against him while he was clothed in blood. Knowing that same blood belonged in her, it convinced her this was not a crime.

After she slid against his virgin flesh, she looked into his dull eyes to find reaction. She was surprised when his unexpected laughter ripped through the air.

Shivering, Sango convinced herself that her sin had been his final pleasure. His blood was under her fingernails and his ominous gutturals filled her ears.

A despairing smile on his face urged her to grasp the last of his blight existence.


	21. For Little Girls Without Houses

**Word Count:** 300

* * *

**For Little Girls without Houses  
**  
Home was nowhere and everywhere.

She barely remembered the last unmoving house she had called her home. It was not much, just a small shack with rotting boards and dirty objects. She slept on a mass of hay on the floor. A dank smell from a nearby bog constantly permeated within the house. And when the villagers ignored her, she was silent and alone.  
This house hadn't been much, but it had been hers.

She let those memories tiptoe over her and away as she reveled in a blissful moment. She hung snugly to a dragon's back. The scales were rough against her soft cheeks, but it was warm. She hugged tighter. She would rather sleep on dragon scales than hay on a dingy floor.  
She giggled, and the dragon cooed for her.

Later, she ran into the forest looking for food with Jaken-sama. He would shout at her, blather about nothing and everything, and even mutter under his breath. She couldn't remember the last time someone had talked to her in such length. She would rather hear someone talking to her than being ignored by villagers.  
She found a yellow flower and handed it to Jaken-sama. He stuttered nervously, but took the flower nonetheless.

And when her Sesshoumaru-sama came back, she clung to his heels and wrapped herself around his towering heat. His clothing would drape over and around her, sheltering her in warmth. Once, she had hid behind his long hair, giggling in the shadow it created over her. Then he would move away to meet her eyes. Her last house had never moved nor looked at her. She would rather have houses that were tall and warm than cold and dirty.  
She bowed to him with a small smile, and lightly, he bowed back.

Her home was here.

FIN


	22. In Good Company

**Title: **In Good Company  
**Word Count:** 294

Miroku patted a wrinkled hand on the stoop for Inuyasha to join him. His old friend cracked a smile and sat down. Miroku was silent for a moment, reveling in the warm summer day in the presence of company, something he lacked since his wife died.

Miroku had known him for almost five decades, and his best friend had still shown little signs of aging. Feeling his bones creak every day from old age, Miroku almost envied him.

Inuyasha broke the silence, "Why'd you ask me here, bozu?" He teased, and Miroku's wrinkles became more pronounced with a heartfelt smile.

"I need a favor," Miroku said through a crackling voice. Inuyasha gave him attention, studying his friend's ancient face.

Miroku sighed and looked to the sky. "I don't have much time left, Inuyasha. I was wondering if your children could take care of this temple for me? Hachi will be lonely by himself."

Inuyasha's smile disappeared, feeling Miroku's sorrow. He and Sango were not as lucky as he and Kagome were with children, and even in his remaining days, the problem had still unnerved him.  
"Of course," Inuyasha said almost in a whisper.

Miroku smiled boyishly. "Good, and would you do something else for me, my friend?"  
Inuyasha nodded. Miroku looked away, trying to deter Inuyasha from seeing the emotions in his eyes. "Stay the evening. I'm sure Kagome wouldn't mind." He said, his voice ringing with underlying emotions. 

Inuyasha's unmoving presence answered in affirmation. Miroku was aged and lonely, and Inuyasha could not deny his friend's requests. Also, Inuyasha could sense something else about Miroku's mood that made him stay.

And then when morning came, he walked into Miroku's room to say goodbye, only to realize that his best friend was already gone.

FIN


	23. Decision of Sin

Theme: Anachronism

* * *

**Decision of Sin**

The cave was filled with sounds of ragged whimpers as she filled it with dry field grass. Plagued by strange nightmares that the thief would kill her beloved sister, young Kaede decided to eradicate the cause. She rustled softly around the cave, working over the sleeping villain who was unaware of her presence.

Finally, with her remaining fortitude she set the fire, running from the heated cavern that became a beacon in the sterile night. Her unsuspecting victim had stirred awake, struggling to protest with fragmented sounds ascending from his scarred throat.

Reluctantly, he surrendered his unholy heart to the insurmountable fire. An errant thought crossed her mind while watching his fading spirit. "The world would be better without you, Onigumo."

And whatever future he was meant for beyond Kaede's words had turned into a charred, barren imprint in a stray string of time.

Hours later, tears mixed with soot spilled down her face when she realized she had just killed a human being. As the sin hung over her, she no longer felt pure enough to become a priestess. She dreaded the disappointment on her sister's face. Then, turning her heel, she left without looking back.

FIN


	24. Sister

**AN: Before anyone gets confused, this drabble concern characters and spoilers from the last ten or so chapters of the recent manga published in Japan.**

**If you don't want to see the spoilers, please don't read.**

**

* * *

****Sister**

Word Count: 268

Byakuya scowled at the lifeless, mirror-holding girl.

'She must be a little confused,' he thought to himself.

"Sister…" she said, and then she began courier Naraku's message to him.

"No, dear, I'm your brother." He sighed with exasperation.

She slowly craned her head up to him so her gray eyes could meet his gaze. He could tell she was studying his face, taking in the bits and pieces that made up his looks. She just stared, not even blinking. After some silent amount of time, she made a motion to speak to him again. However, her face was blank, devoid of any visible revelation.

"Sister…"

And even after looking at him for so long, her information remained misguided.

She wouldn't respond to any of his corrections. She would just watch him with inanimate eyes and continue on as if she discovered nothing.

He scoffed, waving his hand in the air listlessly and turning away to do his mission. He knew people often thought that he shared his looks with the wind witch. Surely, he thought Kanna was sharp enough to know he was a different person.

He gave her a backward glance, discovering she was still watching him intensely as he walked away. He knew that she had been close to their deceased sister, but he never realized how much.

He heard her repeat "Sister," as he disappeared out of her sight.

He knew Kanna was very loyal to Naraku, and she never had shared the same yearning for betrayal that their sister had. Seeing Kagura in him was probably the only way Kanna could remember her.

FIN

AN: Yes, Kagura is killed in the manga and Byakuya is the incarnation of Naraku that takes over for her.


	25. Her Reflection

**AN: Not my usual writing subject, but worthy of a read I think.**

**Her Reflection**

She dipped her hands into the cold river to wash her face. The water rippled in her hands as she examined her delicate mouth, her soft cheeks, and petite nose. She noticed that the cool evening reddened her cheeks. Her gaze traveled up her reflection, and she studied her eyes.

Visibly they were plain brown, yet when she made an angry face, their intensity took on a whole new meaning.

She wasn't sure what she would discover within her own face, but others had seen someone else there.

Kaede had seen her sister in her on their first encounter. Inuyasha had thought she was Kikyo, and later on a monk had as well.

She was wearing the face of another woman. Fleshy, youthful cheeks, round, intense eyes, and dark hair framing her face, they first belonged only to her. Yet in this time, they belonged to someone else.

The reality of it rammed into her, and she saw her determined face disappear as she let the water slip through her fingers, dissolving her reflection.

"You're not her, you know," a soft voice said, cutting through a somber aura that blanketed her. She looked over and met golden eyes flickering under hazy moonlight.

She was silent, and she watched with a stunned face as he moved over to her and then put his hand on her shoulder. She felt a comforting squeeze. "No matter what you may think, when I look at you, all I see is Kagome."

She nodded, throwing away old worries and flashing him a bright smile. She tossed a sidelong glance to the river to see her smile in the reflection. She felt her heart relax, knowing that it was her smile that would set her apart from the other.


	26. A Cat's Effort

**Fifteen minute challenge drabble  
Time:** 14:35 minutes

**A Cat's Effort  
**  
Hojo thought it was rather peculiar, but the strange fat cat that belonged to Kagome had welcomed him at the stoop of her porch.

"What it is, kitty?" He asked with a bright smile, and anyone else walking by might have thought him a weirdo for talking to a cat.  
Buyou responded with a long yowl, swishing his tail and walking closer to Hojo. Hojo was a little surprised the cat was so interested in him. He laughed nervously as the cat started to paw at his pant legs.  
It seemed as though the cat was beckoning him to follow.  
"So, you want me to follow you, Mr. Kitty?" Hojo asked, his face beaming with a sugary smile. "You must be taking me to Kagome."  
Buyou meowed again, leading Hojo to the back yard of the house. Dutifully, Hojo followed the fat cat, no matter how slow he was. Hojo had it in his thick head that Kagome was innocently alone in the backyard, in need of his gallant company.

Once in awhile, Buyou would stop for a break. Sitting down, lifting his leg up to clean himself, and licking at sporadic areas of fur on his belly. Hojo watched him closely, wondering if the cat was REALLY taking him to see Kagome, of he was just inkling for attention. Despite this, Hojo waited, determined to see why that cat was so interested in him, still very sure it involved Kagome.

After a few random kitty baths, Buyou was yet again trotting around the shrine, farther and farther away from the house. Hojo followed him what it seemed to be circles around the grounds.  
"Look, kitty, I don't know where you want me to go, but I really must see Kagome," Hojo said desperately. Buyou meowed at him, and then rubbed against his leg.  
Hojo was far to kind to deny a soft furry cat of a little belly attention. Buyou stretched his limbs and rolled on the ground as Hojo stroked him.

Buyou was in fact, glad that Hojo was here giving attentions to him. He had merely wanted to lure the boy away from the house, especially from the loud sounds that could be heard ringing throughout the house. Kagome's family had been gone over the weekend, and the only people that were home were Kagome and Inuyasha.  
Hojo had ceased petting Buyou and lifted his head. He could see Kagome's bedroom light on in a distance.  
He smiled, "Ah good, she's home." Yet, he was not so happy when he realized there were two figures moving around behind the curtains. He squinted his eyes to get a closer look, moving his feet toward the house.  
Buyou scratched at his pant legs but Hojo ignored him. He was quickly descending upon the truth hidden behind Kagome's bedroom window.  
Buyou, on the other hand, let out a mournful growl of defeat and slumped to the ground.  
He didn't know why he bothered even trying.


	27. Nipple

Theme: Summer  
Warning: Janet Jackson-like fan service  
Word Count: 200

* * *

**Nipple****  
**  
Inuyasha LOVED summer days like this for a particular reason, but he  
wasn't likely to admit it. After all, he was no lecher.

Inuyasha's ears flickered at her laughter. He cracked open an eye  
during his faux slumber, and watched the scene with interest.

"Ah, that's cold!" Kagome would yell in a fit of giggles as Shippo  
splashed cool stream water onto her. Inuyasha's eyes would follow  
the myriad paths of those drops, entranced by the rivers created  
over her heated skin.

A lone droplet snuck down into the thin material covering her  
breasts. He licked his lips, watching her body as she bent over and  
scooped up water.

Intensely, he watched the snug material shift, constrict, and loosen  
as she moved her limbs. Both his eyes opened as he spotted a pink  
jewel peeking and then quickly retreating back underneath its haven.

He felt his blood surge from his cheeks and down between his legs,  
molding his desire into a heady hardness.

"Hrmm ..." a voice next to him jarred him out of his  
reverie. "Nipple..."

Grunting in frustration, Inuyasha hushed the voice out with a good  
wallop.

"Pervert monk!" He chided him, furiously attempting to safeguard his  
own guilt.


	28. Troublesome Human Girls

**Title:** Troublesome Human Girls  
**Theme:** Pet Peeve  
**Characters:** Jaken+Rin

Jaken always thought human girls were troublesome.

In Rin's case, she was always noisy, jabbering about this or that in her little human-girl squeaks. She was always bringing him useless things like flower necklaces and food he couldn't eat. And she was always hugging him and giving him big toothy smiles for no reason.

'Such a nuisance!' Jaken huffed.

Later on, he also thought that even as a growing adult she was annoying, going through mood swings he couldn't fathom how to fix or subdue.

He felt Sesshoumaru was punishing him by always sticking him with her as she grew up.

And her annoyances would never end. She would constantly come to him for irrelevant matters of courtship, gossip, and her personal interests. The way she clung to him was bothersome indeed.

Yet, after awhile Rin's reliance on him became less of a bother, and he started to become used to it. And when he came to the last day she would rely on him, his body froze and he didn't know how to feel.

"Jaken-sama," she said with a voice heavily scarred by age. She covered her wrinkled hand over his scaly one. She smiled at his stunned face. "Thank you."

That was when Sesshoumaru had left the room of her passing, but Jaken had remained just a few minutes more. With brewing tears, he stood there with her inanimate hand still over his, wishing she would wake up and bother him once again.

FIN


	29. Children's Laughter

**Title: Children's Laughter**

**Theme: Summer**

For children, cerulean skies and warm sunlight were perfect for playing. As soon as the village children left their homes, they walked out into the bright day, and their bodies would be hugged by nature, urging them to congregate, play, and bless the village with resounding laughter.

And she envied them.

Though she could remember some happy times, her scarred eye would ache on summer days like today.

Sometimes when she heard children's laughter, her old mind would transform it into shrieks of pain. Then, she would often reach her hand up to her eye, swearing to feel wetness and expecting it to be blood.

When that happened, she would hear her sister's cries as well as her own.

And while the children of today would play, a bitter reminder of her own broken youth unsettled in her stomach. She wished that her childhood had been like theirs.

If only she could remember what it was like to be completely innocent and free, to not worry about half demons and wicked-tongued thieves.

She shook her rusted memories away from the foreground of her mind, and she was startled by a tug on her robes.

"Lady Kaede," she looked down to see a young wide-eyed village girl staring up at her with expansive energy within her eyes. She smiled as Kaede looked down at her, "Will you come play with us?"

Her worries suddenly evaporated as a smile shaped onto her aging face. She nodded, awarded with the young girl's elation.

Following the girl out to an expansive field of flowers where the other children waited, Kaede figured she may not look like a child anymore, but it was never too late to behave as one once in awhile.

FIN


	30. Grandpa's One Special Gift

**Word Count:** 298  
**Rating:** All ages

* * *

**Grandpa's One Special Gift  
**

Grandpa was always giving her ridiculous gifts.

And for every gift, there was a story attached to it. She groaned as she recounted all the abnormal things she was given growing up.

What kind of normal girl can find a use for a sea urchin foot? Or a mermaid scale?

"You know, Kagome, there is a legend about mermaid flesh." He gave her an intense stare. He was always so serious when it came to these crazy stories. "If you eat the flesh of a mermaid you could become immortal."

She resisted the temptation to laugh. Instead, she just smiled sweetly at her grandpa, patted his shoulder and then turned around and offered Buyo the mermaid scale.  
Her grandpa was not pleased, but even so, the gift was completely worthless to her, so much like all the others.

However there was one gift he gave her that she did keep.

A pink glass ball dangled from a strap on her yellow bag. She kept it with her for good luck when she went into the past.

Her grandpa noticed that she still had it. "So, you still keep that?"

Kagome smiled. She gazed at the pink glass ball, remembering when he had told her the story of the Shikon no Tama, a story that was closely tied to their shrine.

"This is very important to me." She smiled, and even though it wasn't the real thing, the story it shared was what mattered to her. She stared at it closely, and the faces of her friends from the past flickered in her mind.

More importantly, there was always one face that stuck in her mind when looking at the pink ball.

'After all,' she thought, 'because of the story behind this gift, I was able to meet him.'


	31. Hollow

**Theme:** Medicine

**Pairing:** Inuyasha/Kikyo

**Rating:** G

**Word Count:** 200

* * *

**Hollow**

White heat sank into her. Her shell shivered at first, adjusting to the alien presence of another's life force fusing with her own. Soon, her manufactured muscle and bone was rejuvenated.

Internally, she hated having to live off someone else's energy, to continue this charade as a hero in a glass body. When humans got sick and hungry, they could use medicine and food, things she could never use again. Her body's medicine was now from the death of others.

And she only had a small portion of her recycled spirit, humming unnaturally within a body that was not formed in her forgotten mother's womb. The reality of having death-energy move her own body made her more hollow than she already was. Her body may appear complete, but her soul…

"Kikyo," his ethereal voice stirred behind her, and he came for her like a silver firefly through the pitch-black forest.

And when he approached her, the reasons why she harbored energy to hold him were pushed back into the recesses of her mind. Inuyasha would hold her, let her hold him, and she would feel her energy strengthen, even more so than some unknown dead soul could ever offer.


	32. Dueling Banjos

**Winner of 2nd place at iyficchallenge's "Strength" theme at Livejournal.**

**Genre:** Parody/Comedy  
**Word Count:** 300

* * *

**Dueling Banjos  
**

"Ugh, my poor muscles," Miroku whined, leaning against a tree. He was dying for a bath, but the girls had beat him too it.

"Feh, you humans and your weak muscles," Inuyasha grunted. Inuyasha lifted his arm and flexed his muscles. "Ha, see that? Now THAT is strength."

Miroku raised his eyebrow at him and smirked. "Yes, those scrawny arms appear so intimidating. No wonder you're not sore, there's nothing there."

Inuyasha growled at him, "Oh, really? May I remind you who uses a heavy sword AND carries a woman on his back all the time? And all you do is wave that rusty staff around!"

Miroku gave him a challenging glare. He pulled off his robes and exposed his bare chest. He flexed his arms and gave Inuyasha a wide smirk. In a small yet noticeable difference, Miroku's muscle bulged larger in circumference.

Inuyasha grunted, seemingly unconvinced. "Whatever, you know my demon blood makes me a whole lot stronger."

"Yes, you're a really strong demon with scrawny muscles and chicken legs," Miroku taunted.

Inuyasha's eyes burned in anger. "Fine, lard ass, so you're bigger, but I'll always be stronger. I can even piss farther than you so wipe that smile off your face," he huffed, sitting roughly onto the ground.

"Care to test that theory?" Miroku began undressing the rest of his clothes.

Inuyasha scoffed. "Now you've done it. I'll beat you good," he stood up, undoing his sashes.

"You're on. You'll see the benefits of training as a Buddhist monk!"

They gave each other challenging glares. They were ready to take aim until they heard someone clear her throat behind them.

Sango, Kagome, and Shippo looked at them with suspicious eyes. "What are you doing?"

The looks on their faces couldn't have been guiltier of foul play.


	33. Magic Tricks

**Title:** Magic Tricks  
**Genre:** Horror/Drama  
**Rating:** PG-13  
**Word Count:** 300  
**Warnings:** violence, murder  
**Characters:** Naraku+Kohaku, and some implications  
**Notes: **Winner of 2nd place for "Magic" theme at iyficchallenge at LiveJournal

* * *

**Magic Tricks**

"He can do all sorts of tricks," Naraku cackled, turning his dark eyes to an audience of minions. He heard clamoring sprout from them, hooting and dancing with tentacle claps of wicked delight.

He turned to his puppet, extending his arm and forwarding a ray of harsh light onto him for display. The audience salivated in anticipation for their master's show.

"He can kill villagers with just one order. He performs jobs perfectly, clean and sound," Naraku continued, motioning to a minion that waited by his side. The demon brought something to Kohaku, and the audience gasped as another prize had come forth. "Now watch closely, everyone."

The poor young woman was terrified. She had been brought within this demon's lair and was being put on display in front of the most horrifying creatures. Her legs and arms were bound, and she was not even allowed to scream with the gag wrapping so roughly through her teeth and squeezing around her skull. She looked up into the light of a boy that stood over her. He held a sickle in his hand, and although he appeared to be human, he was definitely not in control.

"Kill her, Kohaku. Show everyone what you can do," Naraku purred viciously. The unnamed woman shook her head pleading for her life. He brought down his sickle, and she let out a muffled scream. The audience went wild, and some of them charged to the front to lap up the pools of blood.

"Perfect! Now _that_ is a magic trick!" Naraku roared with laughter, embracing his prize with his frenetic hands. A single tear escaped down Kohaku's cheek beyond Naraku's notice.

With that tear the **real** magic appeared, proving that sorrow and regret still existed somewhere within him, a broken doll without a free soul.


	34. Warmer than the Sun

**Theme: **Miroku  
**Word Count:** 430

* * *

**Warmer than the Sun**

Miroku closed his eyes and smiled serenely, feeling a cool breeze tickle his skin on a comfortable summer day. His head rested on his wife's lap, and he felt her smooth fingers messaging his temples. Her soft even breaths trickled over him as he enjoyed her touch.

He unconsciously clutched his right hand into a fist, feeling absent of beads and binding. The torrent winds that had simmered within him and had pounded at the gates no longer burdened him. He moved his once cursed hand over his wife's hand as she continued to stroke his temples. She stopped, and then squeezed his hand lovingly. He briefly looked up at her to see her smiling affectionately.

His body stirred in contentment as she smiled for him.

Then he heard footsteps pitter into the ground as his children giggled playfully and jumped over him as a bridge in their game. His wife's chuckling had followed after theirs.

"Miroku," she whispered lightly. He shivered as she blew teasingly in his ear. He was pleased when she called him that. There were no more "Houshi-samas" as she addressed him, and he had since abandoned his robes after settling down with her. Hearing her say his name with familiarity was an affirmation to the peace they had finally gained.

He was suddenly jarred when one of his children had fallen over his chest to rouse him. He snickered, expecting them to giggle in return.

Instead he felt hands tapping him, and someone began repeating his name like a never-ending echo.

He cracked an eye open, and Shippo stared down at him as he woke. His traveling companions awaited his attention impatiently.

Inuyasha glared at him and then barked with aggravation. "This is no time to be napping, monk. Naraku is still out there, so let's get going." And like always, he and Kagome turned away as she settled onto his back ready to continue their journey.

He stood up, and Sango waited for him to get onto Kirara. Momentarily, he stole a glance at her face. Her expression was full of anger and sadness as usual, and her eyes were weighted with so much pain. He felt the bindings pinch around his hand as he clutched it into a fist.

'Someday, Sango, I will no longer see your frown or the pain in your eyes.' He gritted his teeth and made this silent vow. 'I will free us both from the misfortunes that bind us. And when that time comes, we can enjoy laughter that is warmer than the sun.'

FIN


	35. Haunted

**Theme:** Courage

**Word Count:** 300

Winner of 2nd place at iyficchallenge of Livejournal for Courage Theme

* * *

**Haunted**

No one would dare say Sango was not brave.

She had crawled through her own blood and grave soil to avenge all whom she had lost. She defied Death, snatching back her own life from its bone grip and refusing to let her spirit rest. Even if she lost her body, the knowledge that her family's killer still roamed freely would alone keep her spirit tethered to this world.

The weight of treachery against her kin was too much to leave undone. And she would not let her only living relative stay bound to the one who had caused it all.

Her scar burned, reminding her of the one that stole everything from her. Often she would reach back to touch her scar, fingernails grazing over the marred skin that rippled over her back. It itched in unease. It itched for revenge.

With its pain, she could hear faraway screams of her fallen comrades. The memory of sharp sickles stirred her blood and drowned the light in her brain. Dreams of hollow faces and blood-drained bodies surrounded her, crowding closer to her and then seeping inside her flesh. They did not scare her. She was thankful to see them, rejuvenating her zeal to fight on.

She had always felt them clinging to her, buzzing around her like angry hornets. They moved with her, feeling each blow she made to her enemy and bringing them all closer to redemption. Someday she would give them the finality they deserved. She lived and fought and slept each day for them, and trying to free her brother as well.

This was how she lived, proving that she had more courage than most. After all, she had squirmed from beyond her own grave to be here, to live and perhaps die for her family's honor.

FIN


	36. Edible Frogs

**Theme**: Gift

* * *

**Edible Frogs**

Kagome sighed. On the sidelines, she and the others were watching Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha growling at each other like junkyard dogs.

Though Sesshoumaru had done nothing to provoke him, it was Rin who came over when they ran into them accidentally. She had noticed that Shippo was eating something weird, and she tore off from Sesshoumaru's shadow to investigate. Immediately, Inuyasha started complaining that Sesshoumaru was even there at all.

"Here," Kagome had said, giving her the same candy Shippo had and ignoring the squabbling brothers.

Jaken snatched it to inspect it before Rin could touch it. He studied the form of the candy and didn't seem pleased.

"Go ahead. It's not poisoned, you know." Kagome reassured, and Rin waited impatiently as Jaken sniffed her candy.

"What is it, Kagome-san? The food has a shape to it," she looked at it intensely. "It looks yummy."

Jaken handed it to her, seemingly convinced that Kagome would not feed Rin something horrible when she had given the same thing to Shippo. Rin stared at it gleefully, and then its shape had finally dawned on her.

"They're popular where I'm from. They're called Chocolate Frogs." Kagome said.

Rin smiled, chomping on the morsel happily as Jaken paled.

"You --- you eat frogs?" He seemed offended, and although Rin couldn't figure out the correlation, Kagome did.

She chuckled, giving Jaken a sinister smile, "Hehe, only the MEAN ones." Then her comment and subsequent fits of maniacal laughter sent him spiraling into state of semi-consciousness.


	37. Love Through a Man's Stomach

**Title:** Love Through a Man's Stomach  
**Genre:** Humor/Snark/Parody/Crack/Sarcastic WAFF  
**Rating:** Disney-fied  
**Word Count:** 290  
**Pairings:** Inu/Kag  
**Warnings:** Sarcasm, satire, overuse of adverbs and adjectives, sap that turns to snark, the dreaded intentional OOC, sugar-coated voice of rhetoric, and cliches

**Love Through a Man's Stomach**

She came running to him, sunshine lighting her from behind and her hair flipping aimlessly in the wind. She called his name breathlessly, and he watched her as she ran to him, almost in slow motion with her ethereal goodness. As her youthful breasts bounced and her cheeks flushed pink, his loins stirred in contentment as she came bearing a gift for him.

And it was truly a magnificent gift, and it was only fitting that it was brought by his beautiful wonderful holy beloved woman who didn't quite know his feelings yet.

But he tried to tell her, and whenever she did that special something for him, he believed he was ready.

She laughed gleefully, and the scent of her steaming hot gift swelled in his nostrils. He inhaled and then sighed with joyous satisfaction. He could get drunk off this moment, seeing her heady form sitting next to him and awaiting his approval of the gift.

But he always approved. She could never go wrong with this.

Kagome tittered happily as he took his first bite, immersing in the sodium-laced sauce and noodles that slide over his tongue. He made a noise of delight.

And suddenly everything was perfect. There was ramen in his stomach and Kagome by his side. He only needed this moment to motivate him to tell her, to go beyond all those moments he had been silent.

"Kagome, I love you!" Inuyasha said huskily, and he felt her scent spike at the revelation. He was eager to jump her, and she was eager to have him, but there was only one thing standing in their way of their most blessed first time.

He had to finish eating his ramen first.

XD


	38. Revelations

Title: Revelations  
Theme: Truth  
Word Count: 200  
Genre: Drama  
Character: Sessmom, OC servant, mentions of Inupapa, Izayoi, and  
Inuyasha  
Warnings: None

"Milady," the servant bowed. He kept his eyes down on the ground,  
shielded from her deadly expression.

Her fist clenched as she let the truth settle within her. She could  
hear her own teeth grinding in frustration. She sighed as she  
composed herself.

"So that is where my husband has been for the last decade," she  
spat. She could feel her servant shiver in response to her rising  
fury. "Where is he?"

"Dead, milady, but the human female still lives," he said, still  
bowing. He didn't even see his lady's fanged smirk glimmer in the  
moonlight.

"Is that so?" She pulled out her sword, staring at the shining blade  
with intensity.

"Yes, and she has a small boy with her."

"I do not slay children," she huffed. She gave him an intense stare.  
He looked at her frighteningly. "Take me to her."

"Yes, milady," he said breathlessly. His Lady was silently strong,  
but he knew of her deeds. She was mighty, and people strived to  
never cross her.

He heard her slide her sword back into its sheath. And as he heard  
the friction between the blade and its protector, he could feel the  
sword sing for vengeance and blood.


	39. Not Boys

**Theme:** Phobia  
**Word Count: 200**

**Not Boys**

Eri had a secret, but she didn't know how to tell her friends. Would  
they become scared of her as their friend if they knew?

Secretly, she thought Yuka and Ayumi were rather pretty. Kagome was  
the prettiest, but she was never around.

She couldn't explain why she felt this way, but she never had any  
interest in boys.

In fact, she was terrified of boys. They were dirty and completely  
insensitive. But girls were soft, and their skin looked delicious  
like white chocolate. And she longed to taste it, but she hesitated.  
She just couldn't, not until an opportunity presented itself.  
And then it did.

"Why is Kagome so popular?" Yuka scowled, watching Houjo walk by,  
disappointed that Kagome was not with them. "I wish somebody would  
act like that about me."

Eri hooked with her arm and smiled, leaning her head against her  
shoulder affectionately.

"We're having a sleepover tonight, right?" Eri asked. Yuka nodded.

"I can't make it, remember? I have to cook for my aunt tonight,"  
Ayumi said pouting. The other two girls nodded.

"Well, I guess it's just the two of us, Eri," Yuka said.

She smiled. "Yeah, but we'll still have fun, won't we?"

FIN


	40. Caught in the Act

**Caught in the Act**

Mama Higurashi stared down her daughter and dog-eared companion on opposite side of the table. They looked slightly uncomfortable, unsure of what to say to her recent discovery.

She had thought so much more of them, but this ...

"I'm very disappointed in you two," she said somberly. She looked at them, trying to stare into their eyes. Kagome's eyes shifted around the room uncomfortably. Inuyasha just crossed his arms and looked away with an angry disposition. She heard him harrumph, staring at Buyou sleeping on the floor. Kagome's face was flamed bright red.

Then Kagome spoke. "Mom, I know you're upset. But Inuyasha and I talked about this. And we're really okay that things turned out this way. I was hoping that you wouldn't even care about our decision."

"Keh. Not that's it's any of your business anyway." Inuyasha added; Kagome elbowed him in the ribs.

Her mother sighed, and then she nodded. "Well, I don't really want to believe this." And then her mother began weeping.

"Oh come on, Mom! All we did was talk about how we are just best friends! How in the world could you be upset about that?"

"But but ..." Mama whimpered.

"Yeah, we're from two different times!" Inuyasha added pointedly. "How can you think we can go beyond friendship?"

And then she launched herself at both of them, squeezing them in a desperate embrace. "But I was always hoping you'd both give me some cute dog-eared grandchildren!"


	41. She Has a Girlfriend Now

**Notes: Winner of third place at iyficcontest on Livejournal. Oh, and this is a parody. So don't take it too seriously. KikyouxKagome**

* * *

**She Has a Girlfriend Now  
**  
He had belonged to her. He had prepared to give his life to her. But after all the things in his life that he had to endure, he was not prepared for this -- not at all.

Granted, he wouldn't deny enjoying such a scene, to hear such a delicious story, but for crying out loud, he didn't want it to happen to _him_!

And as he hid behind the bushes while coming upon such a scene, he froze not sure how to react.

A familiar set of arms embraced Kikyou, and he recognized the green cuffs of a uniform right away. Their bodies shifted, and Inuyasha's eyes widened when he saw the two most important women in his life trapped in an intense moist lip-lock.

He couldn't believe it. All the promises, all the years of love, happiness, drama had all come down to this.

"What the fuck?" He screamed, stomping from the bushes and coming over to them. He pushed them apart despite his lower brain's willingness to stand there and gawk at them. He snorted. "What the hell is going on here? Is this a joke?"

Kagome smirked, blushing. Kikyou lifted one hand to her chin and laughed loudly.

"Ohohoho, you caught us, how embarrassing." Kikyou mocked. Kagome giggled.

"Hey! I thought we were going to hell together or something ..." Inuyasha asked, his voice edging with a whimper.

"Poor deluded dog, haven't you figured it out yet?" Kagome asked, wrapping her arms around Kikyou. Kikyou shut her eyes in contentment, and Inuyasha swore she let out a small purr. "We love each other, and since we're so much alike and very pretty, it was only natural we get sick of you and comfort each other."

"Yes... can your small male brain comprehend that? We don't need you anymore. We're tired of your wishy-washiness to pick between us. Now go away, you were interrupting us on our sensual journey to hell." Kikyou turned her head and leaned in to give Kagome a soft, affectionate smooch. Kagome moaned, and Inuyasha's jaw dropped as he saw loud wet tongues.

Inuyasha wiped his eyes from such a scene, and suddenly his pants felt tighter in between his thighs. 'Down boy,' he said inwardly. But other than that, he couldn't think straight at all and started to get angry.

He couldn't believe that as he was ready to go to hell with Kikyou, and the two of them had laughed in his face. And they had even called him a deluded dog!

He was no dog! Well ...maybe he was, but that still didn't excuse them for what they were doing.

His lips quivered and his voice was trapped in his throat. Finally he stuttered, "But, but, what about me?" Kikyou and Kagome separated tongues for a moment to glare him. Inuyasha stepped back realizing he was no longer favored, dumped by both of them and clearly unwanted. "Can I at least watch? Maybe join in?"

And after that, he was dodging purification arrows as he scampered in defeat on his way back to camp.

Kikyou and Kagome put down their bows. Kagome gave Kikyou an innocent blush, and Kikyou smiled seductively. She outstretched her arms to welcome her beloved reincarnation back into her embrace. Kagome meekly fell into her, her timid hands reaching within Kikyou's robes. Kikyou's arms snaked underneath Kagome's skirt.

"Now, where were we?"

Fin


	42. The Joke is on

**Title:** The Joke is on...  
**Word Count:** 248  
**Genre:** General/Humor  
**Rating:** G  
**Characters:** Inuyasha, Kagome, Sango, Miroku

He couldn't believe they suckered him into doing this. He looked over at Kagome's pleading face and turned his head.

"Feh."

He just couldn't deny her, and after she gave him a long speech about justice for a friend, he couldn't refuse. He looked at her quivering lip and buckled under the pressure.

That and she threatened to 'sit' him into next summer.

He looked into the sky and felt a tug at his hair as it was tied and secured in place.

"You know, he won't fall for this gag." He grunted.

"Just do as we planned, Inuyasha, and it will be dark enough that he won't see." Sango said as Kagome grinned mischievously at him.

----

"Houshi-sama! I want to talk to you..._privately._" Sango cooed as she saw Miroku coming from the bath on a dark path in the forest. She hid with Kagome as Inuyasha stood at the edge of the path.

Miroku squinted, seeing Sango up ahead. Her back was to him as she hugged herself nervously.

He couldn't help himself, and reached out and dared a grab. "What is it, my dear Sango?"

She suddenly turned around, only it wasn't Sango. Miroku was mortified as he looked at Inuyasha, human from the New Moon and in Sango's clothes.

"Where do you think you're putting your hands, monk?" Inuyasha warned dangerously as Miroku quickly retracted his hand. His face paled in shock and embarrassment.

"Gotcha!" Sango announced, rolling in a fit of giggles.


	43. The Boy That Shouldn't Have Lived

**Title:** The Boy That Shouldn't Have Lived  
**Genre:** Supernatural/Angst  
**Rating:** T  
**Character(s):** Kohaku  
**Warnings:** Some dark themes  
**Word Count:** 250  
**Summary:** _They never left, clinging to him as invisible strings of sin tying each victim to his lifeline. Every day they moved with him, unrelenting in their redemption that would come about with his death. _

They crowded around and reminded him each day that he didn't deserve to live.

Sometimes they would try to tell him, their gaunt rotted jaws moving but producing no words. Instead he heard their shrieking, an endless mantra that stung against his ears.

They didn't need to speak because he knew what they would say.

_"Why did you kill my baby?" _

"Why did you burn our home?"

"You seemed like such a nice boy ..."

They never left, clinging to him as invisible strings of sin tying each victim to his lifeline. Every day they moved with him, unrelenting in their redemption that would come about with his death.

He said and enjoyed nothing because they wouldn't allow him. They wouldn't allow him to smile or grow. To them, he deserved none of that. Striding in his step and tugging at his shadow, they were the pressure over his mind and the weight on his frown.

No one else had really seen them, and he would endure this alone. He accepted this price. Everyday he would sit and settle and look ahead into space, staring at the phantoms as they stared back, waiting and ready for him to die one day – waiting for him to join them.

And now he was nothing more than an animated corpse, faking existence that was considered life. He could not truly live anymore because his life was not his.

He belonged to them, these restless souls of the strangers whose lives he had ripped away.


	44. Not Like Alice

**Theme: Crossover

* * *

**

**Not Like Alice**

Kagome thought she could be a lot like Alice.

She followed her cat into the well house, and fell into an unknown place. Although it wasn't the same as the world that Alice fell into, sometimes Kagome felt even the past made no sense at times.

She began to think of the similarities. She fell into the world and found a boy with white ears. They were dog ears and not rabbit ears, but all the same they were fuzzy and soft, just as rabbit ears should be.

But the more she thought about it, the less she had in common with Alice. Kagome rather began to think that Alice had it easy.

Then there was Midoriko, grinning and smiling like a cat. She was vague in her messages, leading them all the way to the terrifying Queen.

Naraku wasn't near as nice as the Queen of Hearts. All she did was lop off heads. Naraku would chop up more than heads like limbs and homes and most of all – _people's hearts._ He made this world cruel and unimaginable. The Queen had just been idea of villainy to scare children into thinking Alice was really special and brave.

But Alice wasn't, not like Kagome was.

No, Kagome began to think she wasn't like Alice at all. Kagome was snatched against her will without ever being curious, and there was more to the Feudal Era than meeting confusing characters that weren't even real.

Here, everything was real – this time, the deaths, the struggles, but more importantly, her friends. And they made it easier for her to return.


	45. Open and Clench

**Title:** Open and Clench  
**Theme: **Truth

_Open. Close. Open. Flex._

He forgets what it is like to have a hand that is whole, that still has muscles and blood underneath. Instead he only knows that his hand is as good as gone, unnatural and unholy – cursed.

_Flex. Beads scrape. Rattle, tighten – whisper and malign. _

He thinks pensively, flexing the muscles in his upper arm that are still whole. He feels the muscles in his forearm that are real too. But his hand –

The truth is it's not really a hand anymore – it's a marker – a marker for his inevitable end.

It's a truth that he is not whole – and with a slim chance of 'not yet'. He is fragmented and continuously cracking – his hand swishing by his side seeping lost time, and opening, flexing and tightening –

And waiting for the quick grab of Death.

One day, then three, then forty – his many days fade into few and time once polished begins to dull. 

_Open. Close. Wait. Clench. _

He opens his hand, and Coincidence moves the winds of the outside world. He waits, and inside … the swallow of his finality waits as well.


	46. Two Times

**Two Times**

So far in my lifetime, I have died twice.

The first time, wolves – menacing and terrifying creatures that tore at my young flesh – killed me growling and gnashing between bites. I still remember what it felt like to have my skin torn away from bone.

They had left me physically broken, unable to grow beyond a young girl and unable to heal with such dire wounds. But that was when _he_ came along – and I had hope again.

I wasn't so afraid of wolves much after Sesshoumaru-sama saved me and gave me a new life. I did feel stronger – even if I was still a small girl. I felt stronger because of him, and I felt I could do anything.

Just one look into his proud, invulnerable face and I felt I could run anywhere – I felt I could even outrun wolves. And I had no reason to feel broken, or to fear, because I had died already and was saved. 

I latched onto Sesshoumaru-sama without really touching him, yet I never felt closer to anyone.

---

The second time I died, I was still breathing and blood was still flowing throughout my body.

My mind, however, was irreparable, and wolves might as well have torn my heart out. But sometimes the things making us comfortable and whole never stay with us forever.

When I learned that I felt my younger self was a fool.

I was older and my body had more definitive shapes. I had urges, many urges that I would only allow to be subdued by my Sesshoumaru-sama. I could have no one else – how could I? There was no one else more worthy, and there was not a soul that could repair the damage of a girl who's died before.

"Sesshoumaru-sama!" I screamed for him, but my feet were frozen in the ground. The villagers of my new home didn't need to hold me back. It was against his will that I run after him, and after all, my body only obeyed his will.

My hand reached out for him. I had never truly touched him, and he would never let me. And when my arrogance lent itself so that I could, I truly learned his intentions for the first time. Even if I was some little girl that he saved from death, I could never be with him. He would not have me the way his father had a human woman – his blood did not sing that way.

I cried, motionless and staring at his descending form in the distance, and everything I held dear collapsed within itself inside of me.

And that's when I died for the second time in my life, and I felt that any deaths hereafter would probably be borne into a much paler light.


	47. Stray from the AlmostDead

**Pairing:** Kouga/Sango

Stray from the Almost-Dead

"It doesn't matter." Her voice was harsh with rigidity. She looked forward – her brain sweeping away ramifications and consequences underneath. 

Kouga sighed. He stopped himself from shrugging, and instead he just sniffed – his nostrils accosted by the smell of sex and guilt in the air.

"If you think so. But I don't understand why you didn't do this with _him_." He heard buttons snap, sashes being tied, and once strewn armor aptly placed. 

Her eyes flickered downward, and then she curled her lip in resolve. "I can't. I need this but I can't. Not with him." True 'his' days were numbered. To engage in such intimacy, to start something that had no finish – it would break her heart.

And her heart had no more pieces to break.

Yet, Kouga was worried, and she felt that no impromptu lover should.

"It's inconsequential." The words spilled over her lips and bit into his senses with such finality. He inwardly cringed, and even in the beginning, he knew he was going to be used – and now he only felt miserable – not just by the act itself, but also by the look on her face that told him she was forcing it not to matter.

Seeing his distress, she painted him a false smile and kissed him.

"It really is nothing," she reassured, though herself more than him. Sango stood up, clutched her swords with her shaking hand and tossed her gaze away from him – tears glittering and then gone in the stale night.


	48. To Live and Die Again

Gift!ficfor **planetgal471**  
**Requested:** Kagura Slice-of-Life (somehow Sesshoumaru got in there too)  
**Word Count:** 200

* * *

**To Live and Die Again**

She'd like to think she'd died for _something_.

She was no longer alive – yet not completely gone. Instead, she was renewed, transferred from the end to the beginning again as a wispy fabric of Gaea.

Kagura thought it was an acceptable fate. She had been made for a reason, and she had to have died for a reason. So, she was certain that in the end she had been useful – that even now, as non-corporeal, she could _still_ do something good.

Listlessly and euphorically, she had lived as she wanted to – as the wind – beyond death.

Spending time fluttering though silver tendrils and blowing off debris of swords born anew, she felt helpful, worthy at least of something – maybe even _someone_. And she knew that she had died so that she could somehow live again – to make up for wrongs with even the smallest of rights.

And then, upon living and righting, she found herself believing and striving, so that others could live when she had died. Thus by filling his lungs with breath of life, she lived so that he could live and she died so that he could fight.

Yes, she'd like to think she hadn't died for nothing.

END


	49. Hers, Only

**Title:** Hers, Only  
**Rating:** PG  
**Characters/Pairings:** Kohaku, Midoriko, some mentions of Kikyou, Sango, and Sesshoumaru. If you squint hard enough, you might see Kohaku/Midoriko  
**Genre:** Drama/Introspection  
**Word Count:** 200  
**Notes:** Chapter 456 was just so damn inspirational. I hope it fits the theme.

No matter how many masters had bound him, his blood always pulled him back to his roots – grasped tightly into a stagnant past that would not let him forget.

He could sleep in faraway forests, follow the footsteps of mikos, or even shadow the intentions of silver princes, but he could never leave his home of the _taijiya_ village – he could never leave the cave, he could never leave _her,_ and she would not let him.

_You are my last hope, Kohaku._

Her voice – her legendary power blanketed his brain. And when he heard her, his shoulder burned and the blood of his long-buried kin illuminated his hands with soul painted stain.

In his mind, a part of her waited and caressed – preparing him for his duty, the reason he was denied the taste of dirt and bone.

Dutifully he nodded. Kikyou was not his master. Sesshoumaru was not his savior. His sister was not his sister-lover. Only she – the legendary Midoriko, who constantly drowned his mind with her aura and kissed his senses with her eternal struggle – was the person who filled him now.

His shortened breath, his brittle fate – on bended naked knees were submissively only for her.


	50. PleasurePain

**Title:** Pleasure-Pain  
**Genre:** Smut/Yaoi  
**Rating:** R  
**Pairings:** Kouga-- Inuyasha  
**Warnings:** Uh, major Yaoi implications

A snicker,  
a snort, a snivel  
a shiver –  
could all give me away

You think I want  
your woman?  
I'd leave her so  
dry -  
if you'd catch   
on to my ways

It's not a competition  
it's barely a   
game -  
it's a shameful  
deception - a curse  
of freak pleasure-pain

I rattle  
you bark -  
a rival to strain  
it's all worth that snarl,  
as coming what may

Snicker  
growl  
snivel -  
Indulging of this will  
to rim and ravish  
your resisting array

Wanting  
that friction -  
on your back  
with dirt imprinted  
and my weight over yours -  
a heightened hot of blood  
with claws a'scratchin' - to mold  
Dominance  
for lay

it's a shameful deception  
it's barely a game  
a tiptoe of hate  
this prey for play


	51. Stragglers Behind

**Title:** Stragglers Behind  
**Rating:** PG-ish  
**Characters:** Sango, Kohaku  
**Genre:** Drama, Angst  
**Word Count:** 177

**Stragglers Behind**

A blood-red horizon fell over her as she stood – a woman alone inside a cracking wall of unrest.

Scrunching her face, looking forward with old eyes, she was beyond crying for now. The voices of the past shifting through time did little to weaken her, but filled her with vigor instead.

_The taijiya village, her home, used to be a welcoming, hardy place. _

And people used to walk here, fight here, give birth here, and no matter what your skill, no matter your family, it was a place to belong.

_We were like a pack of wolves – a stronghold where warriors were made and honor was born._

The heavy wind was at her back now. One more stray wolf of a once great stronghold stumbled around aloof, sequestered from the kindred – grasped by a tourniquet of morose. 

Unwillingly, he was stripped from her arms – her last tie to family, a final tie to origin.

_Kohaku ..._

The screams of the dead buzzed on the wings of an errant fly. The blare of vengeance dripped in her ears.


	52. The Rookie

**The Rookie**

"It's called baseball, Inuyasha," Kagome said, holding a ball and a well-crafted stick.

"Feh."

"Oh come on, now. I bet you can't hit this ball in three chances!" she goaded.

He gave into the competition and retorted, "Okay, wench. I'll play your stupid game." She handed him the stick along with a challenging grin. He inspected the wood of the 'bat', and gave the hickory a small whiff. "How hard can it be to hit a ball with this stick? Seems too easy."

"There's more to it than that. First, we have to see if you can actually hit the ball," Kagome mocked him, and he responded with a growl.

"Ready? I'm not going to be easy on you!"

"Ha! You better not!"

She wound up her arm, surprising him by throwing a slider. The speed caught him off guard and he missed it.

"Strike one!"

He groaned, but next time he would be ready.

Change-up, the ball came at him in a spiraled, downward trajectory. Eyeing it, he gripped the bat and made clank-contact with the ball. With Inuyasha's natural power, the ball shot miles from the shrine.

"Well, well," someone said behind them, and he started clapping, looking at Inuyasha intensely. "You've got talent, kid."

Kagome's face paled as she surmised who their visitor was and felt a sense of anxiety in her belly. She wasn't expecting anything from a harmless modern era game, but what was she going to do if her feudal era friend got scouted?


	53. Old Age is Irrelevant

**Title:** Old Age is Irrelevant  
**Genre:** Drama/Introspective  
**Rating:** PG  
**Word Count:** 228  
**Characters/Pairings:** Kaede -- Inuyasha implied

**Old Age is Irrelevant**

Her back still aches every morning, and when she sees her sister's dying face in her mind, her eye twinges in pain – resonating with memory of years gone by.

Sighing, Kaede admits humbly that she is old. Her life is not wasted, and many more years could follow today if she keeps herself healthy – if she ignores the pains of memory and fading years.

She stretches her old muscles and feels the pops of tired bones, but her heart still beats and her eyes still well up with tears – her veins still rush with heat at the thought of a man.

Old age means really nothing – it does not remove her from what she is. And while she is old and memory stacks upon memory, culminating in the form of wisdom, she is still a woman – not even time can take that away.

"Kaede, are you alright?" he asks her, the silver haired boy she used to watch and dream about in the forbidden forest so long ago. His silver hair and red clothes ignites more than memory, but she smiles anyway and nods her head to reassure him.

Years and years go by – weighing down the flesh on her face. She may be aged, she may be tired and past her prime, but Kaede is still a woman with desires.

And desires are, Kaede thinks, purely eternal.


	54. Becoming His

Pairing: Inuyasha/Kagome

**Becoming His**

He caught her shivering breath with his mouth, delving deep past her quivering lips and sucking on her meek tongue.

"Kagome..." he whispered her name, making her blood surge hotter and her heart pound faster. She wished time would stop, that she could live in this moment until the sun blacked out - even until there was no one else in the universe but themselves.

She yearned for this moment - as a wide-eyed naive school girl, as a jealous third wheel, and now, as his one and only. She couldn't remember the time when she didn't dream of it - to be known as Inuyasha's wife.

"Inuyasha," she responded, sucking shyly on his bottom lip as he moved her close to the edge of their bed. Her face flushed in excitement, and in the moonlight she was illuminated - heady and ready for him.

"I love you," came out in a purr through his gruff voice, and he tumbled her backwards onto the soft sheets.

But nothing - nothing could be as soft as his hands caressing up her legs toward her heat. And soon she was feeling it - the culmination of joy, the frozen absolution of erotic abandon.

She was his; he was hers - now and forever.


	55. The Running Man

**Warnings: Incest implications - Sango/Kohaku **

**The Running Man**

She waits for no man, but she lives only for him.

He wanders – running through the thick bramble of jaded past, out-stepping the grab and pull of the wronged dead.

She lives for him, but he thinks it's pointless. Kohaku knows she has a good heart; she _means_ well.

Sango cannot let go; her fingers flex and run through the air – reveling in a memory that shapes into the softness of his hair.

She misses him, but he keeps running. He's running away to something; he's leaving her behind because he knows she should live for herself – and not for him.

He thinks she deserves to be happy, but she will net let herself. Misery steals the energy around her. She wades through a thick, muddy swamp of guilt.

Sango wants to hold him again, kiss his mouth to give him life. But Kohaku runs from her because he knows it can never be.

He knows that he is already dead.


	56. Packin' Heat

**Packin' Heat**

"Kagome, I know you have an awesome boyfriend and all," Eri said to her one afternoon. "But haven't you ever wondered why Houjo is so popular?"

The question dumbfounded Kagome, and she didn't even know why they were asking. She was perfectly happy with Inuyasha, but her friends were still always trying to get her to notice Houjo.

Honestly, she didn't know what was so great about him.

She sighed in exasperation. "Okay, you have something you want to tell me, so out with it."

Her three school friends gave each other uncomfortable looks, and Kagome was sure she saw Ayumi fight back a devilish smirk.

"Well, you know Ozawa Tetsuo in Class B right?"

Kagome thought about it for a moment and said bluntly, "Isn't he, you know, a queer?"

Yuka sniggered as the others nodded in affirmation.

"Well, he's a pretty good source, and he's seen many things – in the locker room if you get my drift." Kagome blinked blankly at them, and then when the naiveté was pushed aside, she flushed from the insinuation.

"Um…"

Then, annoyed with the uncomfortable air, Ayumi slapped Kagome sternly on the shoulder and said, "To put it plainly, Kagome. Houjo is packing – quite well, in fact. Yeah, I know he's a square, but that's not why girls want him."

Yuka nodded. "A man that size should be pretty talented."

"You should just go for it Kagome. I'm sure your boyfriend has nothing on those 24 centimeters." The other girls agreed, but Kagome was pretty floored.

She didn't know how to feel by this new development of peer pressure – tempted or just plain horrified.


	57. String of Soul

**implied Kagome/Kikyou **

**String of Soul**

**There is something about Death.**

There is something about it that hovers in the sky, looming over the heads of the living – a reminder of short-lived days and lives far gone.

It grips, twists, and tears through timeline – reconstructing, reinventing and remolding clay that could never dry, a sculpture that has no finish.

A life will extinguish, but rise again from the ashes – different, raw, and blank to fresh brush strokes of potential anew.

**There is something about Life.**

It begins kicking and screaming – anxious and vicarious. It radiates youth, skips through a stone world and defines all those around it. Life brings color; Life brings song; Life brings Love.

And with Death, an extinguished candle in the dark, Life sets it aflame. And cherry-flavored lips of youth cover over the dry lips of the dead – both sucking within them the string of Soul – bringing all regressions together as one, many bodies into one endless kiss.

There is no Kikyou. There is no Kagome. There is no line of definition.

There is only one mold that combines them both – indefinitely.


	58. Schizophrenic

**Title:** Schizophrenic  
**Genre:** Bleak/Introspective/Psychological  
**Rating:** R  
**Pairing:** Midoriko/Kagome  
**Word Count:** 245-ish  
**Warnings/Squicks:** implied yuri, implied masturbation, character death  
**Summary:** _They_ were the last, but they also survived as one.

Schizophrenic

She taps her chin nonchalantly. The modern world appears so basic, so mundane compared to the things she's seen – the trials she's lived.

_I am the last one. You are the last one. We are the last of them all._

Comforted by a familiar voice in her head, returning to her time doesn't seem so dreary – she doesn't seem so alone.

Sometimes she sees the blond hair of a foreigner among a sea of black, and she thinks that maybe she and her sister-voice really aren't the last.

_We both know he's dead. They all are._

It's sad, but not _too_ sad; she still has the voice after all. She has the jewel.

Idly, she caresses her fingers over her scar and then below – the voice inside her purrs in joy that her host knows that she's still here, and she's not going anywhere.

_You knew you had to take me in; it was the only way to win. It was the only way the rest of the world would be safe when your friends could not be._

Combined with the soul of a long dead miko, she pays the price of winning. It is a marker that there once were others – that even though she is 'the last', she hadn't been 'the only'.

With Midoriko's soul fused with her own, her brittle mind is reminded that once she fought a battle – and then once she had friends that are now all dead and gone.


	59. Head Fetish

**Head Fetish**

Jaken knew that Sesshoumaru had always been quite fastidious about his grooming. In fact, he had become used to Sesshoumaru's habitual preening, and no doubt the act brought him a lot attention. The lady youkai _particularly_ swooned at his long silken locks, free of pesky split ends and tangles shimmering brightly in the groveling moonlight.

Thusly, Jaken was quite surprised that with all the preening, Sesshoumaru's ward was unaffected by it, and she had been quite indifferent to long pretty hair altogether.

Much to Jaken's dismay, and perhaps Sesshoumaru's too, Rin seemed obsessively interested in fuzzier, hairless surfaces rather than the wooliness or silkiness of a healthy head of hair.

Whether it was a newborn child's head or a freshly shaven animal, Rin squealed at the caress of such things, but when she discovered the smooth, velvety texture of his own head, Jaken felt his problems increase.

"Wheee! Jaken-sama, your head feels like a baby's bottom!" And fingers would rub, pet, and massage the top of his head, sending him into dizzying bouts of soothing, yet guilty satisfaction.

Jaken didn't know if this was a bad thing or not that Rin had more reason to touch him.

And her suitors attempts to woo her – the slayer boy cutting his hair for "honor" and the fox brat taking interest in becoming a monk – were all quite fruitless and ineffective.

After all, Jaken still had one advantage over them. He was, at least, bald _and_ green.


	60. Regression

**Title:** Regression  
**Rating:** PG-13  
**Genre:** Paranormal/Supernatural/Introspective/Drama  
**Word Count:** 211  
**Pairings:** Kikyou/Kagome, allusions to Inuyasha/Kagome and Inuyasha/Kikyou  
**Spoilers:** Chapter 475-ish

Regression

The spirit remembers. It always does.

But it can't let it all rise to the surface. It can't undo a new weave that has just taken shape – that receives a fresh pattern, a new hue of thread.

But **she** feels she _has_ to remember. To make her – the second one after her but more like the twentieth or one hundredth after the first.

_"Kagome, you can't forget me."_

And in a deep sleep she'll slip and slide into her brain, sucking desperately onto her soul.

She dreams. She whispers. She regresses. She feeds her power into her soul-fire. Her once-kisses burn on the second one's lips anew.

She has to remember.

She has to know why she is here and why she takes the place as lover and warrior in a time not her own.

And when a tear falls down, a gut retches with regret – the child remembers.

_"I won't forget you, Kikyou."_

The priestess before her is within. She **is** her: as sisters, as lovers, as one, as two. Old. New.

The one before and gone sinks inside. Her heat bubbles to the surface – fueling Kagome, enlightened and renewed.

Together, they share the battles of today and soft arms of tomorrow.

And Kagome has never felt closer to anyone.


	61. The InBetween of Moving On

**Title:** The In-Between of Moving On  
**Word Count:** 250  
**Rating:** PG  
**Spoilers:** Chapter 475-ish  
**Characters/Pairings:** Inuyasha/Kikyou, and Inuyasha/Kagome implied  
**Genre:** Tragedy/Introspective

----

Sucked up and spit out, she was gone again; the acid of truth was still fresh on his throat.

Then she became just a memory, and she had always _been_ a memory – not always alive but still unattainable. In and out of his brain and heart she wandered, always clawing for him.

Mourning her now seemed redundant, and he was tired of remembering his beloved either falling over cliffs or dying in the arms of the enemy. Even though he still cherished her, he knew he had the strength to move on. But the thought always lingered within him ...

_Could she possibly come back? _

Then he'd peek around corners ... waiting ... hoping that she'd reappear; saint or devil, it didn't matter.

Her warmth was already going stale in his muscles.

If he didn't hold her soon, didn't see her soon – he'd just go back to wallowing again.

And his enemies liked when he wallowed. They _enjoyed_ when he craved her, a woman already dead fifty years past – becoming a tool for their wretched schemes.

_"It's okay. You came back after all."_

And he looks at _her_, and though real memories cannot return from shadows, he could live in new ones. Within _her_ eyes he can see Kikyou's essence. In Kagome he can always find something there that he had lost ...

And something he can regain anew.

With Kikyou gone and rested, they could finally leave _together_, with memory whispering in their bones and tomorrow stirring on the horizon.


	62. Trump Card

**Title:** Trump Card  
**Genre:** Snark/Humor  
**Rating:** R for mention of sexual situations  
**Word Count:** 436  
**Pairing:** Inuyasha/Sessmom implied  
**Summary:** "So, what will your human girl think when she finds out you're not a virgin?"

**Notes/Spoilers:** I wonder if this situation is even possible...Spoilers up to some of the recent manga chapters

Trump Card

Leaning against the tree, Inuyasha waited impatiently for a certain person to arrive. _That_ person, he mused, hadn't been around to see him for quite a while. She only made contact with him recently as the battle with Naraku started to escalate.

"So, you finally nagged some sense into him about that damn sword?" he asked right away after sensing her presence. She chuckled in affirmation.

"Hrmm, yes, I'm hoping that he'll be more reliable when the time comes." She sashayed out of the shadows of the forest and met Inuyasha's gaze with glittering copper eyes.

Inuyasha nodded, satisfied at her response. He added, "Well, good. He's been a real pain in the ass. And I hate to admit it, but we do need his help." He turned to the silver-haired woman and said seriously, "He wouldn't have listened to anyone else."

The woman's eyes were jubilant and she gave him a sly smirk. "Ah, but he is not the only son of the Inu no Taisho that needs to learn a few things. You haven't been behaving much yourself, little one."

Inuyasha flushed and turned his gaze away with a frown. "Feh! I certainly don't want to hear _you_ say something like that!"

The woman looked offended and whined, "Aw, why must you think that?"

He looked at her, his eyes darting around nervously and then giving her a harsh stare. "You know _exactly_ why it's weird for me ..."

She chuckled low in her throat that caused him to tingle between his legs. "Oh, I remember." She smirked at him and gave his ribs a nudge. "So, what will your human girl think when she finds out you're not a virgin?"

His face reddened, and he bit on his lip in anger. He hated when she teased him. It always led to regrettable things…

So, quickly, he shook it off and didn't let her get to him. He smiled forcefully instead. "Heh, she'll be surprised, but not in an angry sort of way." He swore his eyebrows waggled on instinct.

"Hn," she responded, and kept eyeing him like he was bait on a hook. She moved in closer and then whispered into his ear, "And what will Sesshoumaru think when you tell him about you and his dear mother?"

Then, Inuyasha's chest puffed out and he gave her a wicked grin. "Heh, he'll be pissed, and I'm counting on it."

The woman seemed amused and rolled her eyes. With a naughty grin, Inuyasha impetuously added, "And the day that bastard thinks he has one up on me, I'll let him know _all_ about it."

XDD


	63. Hope for the Hopeless

**Title:** Hope for the Hopeless  
**Genre:** Drama/Romance  
**Rating:** PG  
**Characters:** Kouga, Sango  
**Word count:** 248

**Summary:** Kouga knows she's not coming back to this time, so why does he keep waiting?

Hope for the Hopeless

The sun was setting, and he had returned once again – the same time as always.

"They're still not back," Sango said with a small amused grin. Her new visitor snorted in contempt.

Sango sighed, knowing it was hopeless. She continued to sharpen her weapon, sitting outside her new home in Kaede's village. The well in Inuyasha's Forest was close by.

"Why are you here, then? Your monk will never come back. Your brother ..."

Sango stopped sharpening and pursed her lips. He didn't _have_ to get mean.

"Face it, Kouga," Sango said ignoring his comment. "Kagome didn't choose you. So why do you still come here?"

Without invitation, he sat down next to her. He looked ahead to the forest. "I don't know. I just keep hoping..." She nodded in understanding.

"I thought you gave her up long ago."

"Yeah, but when Naraku was defeated, I thought maybe the future could be different."

Momentarily, they were both silent, and then she replied, "That seems rather foolish."

"And making promises to a dying man isn't?"

Sango grunted. Kouga listened to the sound of polished bone. The burning scent lifted into his nostrils, smelling so familiar.

He had been coming back here so many times, even when he knew Kagome was truly gone.

"So you'll be back here tomorrow?" Sango looked up at him as he prepared to return home.

"Yep," he said quickly. He looked down at her, and she was smiling prettily at him.

"I'll still be here then."


	64. Pieces of Lilac

**Title:** Pieces of Lilac  
**Genre:** Drama/Introspection  
**Word Count:** 186  
**Characters:** Inuyasha, Kagome, mentions of Inuyasha's mother and Kikyou  
**Spoilers:** None  
**Summary:** He was dreaming of _her_, not her.

Pieces of Lilac

Inuyasha sighed and opened his eyes slowly. He sniffed, smelling lavender and a touch of lilac on the wind. The smell encased his body into a warm, motherly embrace, and he began to give into his waning energy.

When he woke up, there was a woman's playful laughter on the tips of his ears, dying away as reality set in.

He remembered her. He smiled, thankful that her memory still filtered into his dreams.

He missed her.

"Dreaming of Kikyou again?" Kagome sniffed as she sat down quietly next to him. Her voice was somber, but her tone was sparked with irritation.

'Damn, why can't she let that go?' he snorted inwardly, and he groaned as his jealous companion ruined his peaceful moment. So, he told her the straight truth.

Making a noise of annoyance in his throat, he replied, "No, I was dreaming of my mother."

He turned his face away from Kagome's stunned expression and closed his eyes, conjuring up what little memories he had left of her.

He hoped that his nose could still pick up the trace of lilac in the wind.


	65. Watcher

**Rating:** G  
**Pairings:** Inuyasha/Kikyou  
**Word Count:** 250

Watcher

Kikyou had gone out one afternoon from the village, trudging through the thick snow just to bring them medical supplies from a neighboring town.

Being the head miko of this village, Kikyou was required to go out by herself to retrieve the much needed supplies, even if it meant going during the accumulating snow and dropping winter temperatures. She didn't mind it and knew it was her duty, and even when her sister Kaede pleaded to accompany her, Kikyou made her stay safe at home.

And despite her loneliness, Kikyou felt she really _wasn't_ alone on her journey – or any of her travels lately for that matter.

She always felt _him_ watching her, waiting in a tree or on the top of a house and keeping an eye of her every movement. Whether he was curious of her or trying to ponder if he could get a chance at the jewel again, Kikyou began to feel strangely comforted by his presence.

"I know you're there, Inuyasha," Kikyou said confidently, her tone laced with humor. "You can come out now."

After being found out, he quickly left his hiding place and jumped down next to her.

"I wasn't stalking you or anything. I was just ... making sure no one else got to the jewel!" he said gruffly. Kikyou chuckled beside him.

To Kikyou, his true reasons for watching her didn't matter – what mattered was that afterwards, he always chose to walk by her side the rest of the way home.


	66. Like His Father

**Rating:** R-ish for mild implications of hanky-panky  
**Pairings:** Sessmom/Inupapa, Izayoi/Inupapa, Inuyasha/Sessmom  
**Genre:** General  
**Word Count:** 250

Like His Father 

When he first met her, she licked her lips hungrily and said, "You look like a mirror image of my dead husband."

Somewhat confused, he soon realized that this woman used to be married to his father – a father he never met, and a man his mother said he took after.

This youkai woman gazed at him longingly, just as his mother had so many moments of his growing days.

But at least his mother had held her impulses at bay.

--

The first time he was inside her was the first time he was inside any woman, and it felt raw and strange. He filled her, for the first time, and he felt like he had eaten a large meal.

She cupped his face lovingly and whispered, "You look so much like him."

--

The first time he met him with eyes like his own, his face was like the woman that took him, and Inuyasha realized that he was her son.

"You look nothing like him," his brother said disbelievingly, as if he were told, "he looks more like your father than you".

Looking him over, Sesshoumaru proceeded to strip down the reasons why they were family blood. "You look more like that human bitch, and those ears are nothing less than laughable."

And for the first time, his brother denied him despite his looks. For the first time, Sesshoumaru discouraged his blood-right by saying, "My father was a great youkai. You are nothing like him at all."


	67. About a Well

**For Silverontherose**

* * *

About a Well

"Did he just _hump_ the Bone Eater's Well?" Sango asked in disbelief. Maybe her eyes were playing tricks on her, but their usually gruff hanyou friend was getting strangely amorous with the magical well that transported Kagome back to their time.

"Well, it's to be expected…" Shippo said.

Miroku rubbed his chin thoughtfully as the three of them hid behind the bushes and watched Inuyasha's movements alone by the well. "To his character, he has spent a lot of time on that well moaning, waiting, and just plain acting irrational during the time Kagome is gone."

"But he's delusional now. Completely insane."

"I agree with Sango," Shippo said. He tugged on Miroku's sleeve desperately. "What are we going to do? We have to snap him out of it!"

Miroku put a hand up and shook his head. "No, I think the shock would be too much for him."

Sango bit her lip and sighed in exasperation. "We can't leave him in the dark any longer. It's wrong." Kirara mewled in agreement with Sango.

Shippo turned to watch Miroku's expression again, anxious to know what they were going to do. "Should we really tell him she's not coming back?"

"Maybe, Shippo," Miroku responded with a sigh, starting to give up. He looked over at Inuyasha, who was now looking around to see if anyone was watching him as he pulled down his pants so he could mark his territory. Miroku shook his head.

"I just don't know how he's going to handle it when we tell him Kagome ran off with Kouga."


	68. Blue Moon

**Written for the ebony-silks "Sweetness" theme, Sess/Kag**

* * *

Blue Moon  
  
Brown eyes met golden ones. She'd never thought she'd see him here...of all places.

Kagome rudely pointed at him. "What are you doing here?"

"I own this place."

"This... is an ice cream shop. Shouldn't you own a law firm or maybe a multi-million dollar company?" Shaking her head, she felt a migraine forming.

He turned around, silver hair pulled back into a ponytail and markings conveniently covered. On top of that, the ice prince was repairing a broken ice cream machine.

"For your information, my mother owns this company. She has an odd fetish for sweets."

Kagome gaped at him again, and he gave her that same look he gave his enemies centuries ago when he was about to impale them.

"Are you going to order something?" he snapped.

"Uh..." She could barely find her voice she was so discombobulated. Though, instead of letting insanity beat her, she decided to play along. She smiled sweetly at him. "Blue Moon, please. Two scoops."

Sesshoumaru huffed, and then turned to the love-struck cashier next to him. "Serve this girl."

Kagome beamed widely. 'Well, at least he still orders people around.'

Then, while watching him some more, Kagome braved a question. She wondered if his personality had really changed _that_ much. "So... I was wondering..."

Sesshoumaru gave her another impatient look, like he already knew what she was going to ask. "No, miko, I will not wear the standard uniform hat."


	69. The SelfLess Act

**Rating:** G  
**Word Count:** 249  
**Genre:** Genfic/Drama  
**Spoilers:** Some in the later chapters with Sesshoumaru's mother

* * *

The Self-Less Act  
  
Kagome stared at the imposing woman, intimidated by her beauty and power.

"I had a feeling you'd come for this," spoke the silver-haired woman. Kagome watched Sesshoumaru's mother approach her with the magical amulet, and her eyes drifted to the pattern on her kimono, splattered with their family crest of blue half moons.

The youkai woman's voice brought her out of her reverie, and sternly she instructed Kagome on how to use the amulet. "Tie this to Inuyasha's sword. Combined with Tessaiga's barrier, the rise of youki in his blood will be a smoother transition over time. Soon, he will no longer need the sword to control the unstable youki. His father wanted him to have a life without having him fall into madness."

Kagome bowed, gently taking the amulet from her hands and then thanking her. She turned to Sesshoumaru and addressed him, "Thank you for doing this. With this amulet, you'll be saving his life someday. I couldn't have done it without you."

Sesshoumaru stayed silent, but gave her a small nod. Kagome felt his power increase, and clouds of youki and wind began to pick up as he transformed to carry her back to the surface.

He still remained silent with her, but when he agreed to help ease his brother's suffering, the selfless act alone spoke volumes. Kagome had known that even in that respect, Sesshoumaru had surpassed Inuyasha, and perhaps even his father.

She only hoped he had realized that himself as well.


	70. Only

**Rating:** G  
**Word Count:** 250  
**Written for "Solitary" theme at ebonysilks  
**

Only

Soon, she realized that it was really him.

So she followed him out of curiosity - outraged that he was even here in modern-day Tokyo. She had finally accepted being alone after the well had spit her back into her own time, yet she felt both offended and invigorated that she wasn't the only one left. He had survived as well.

And he acted as though he belonged here, which annoyed her.

But when he found out she was following him, he became annoyed with her as well.

"Leave me alone." He released her hand from his arm and pushed her firmly aside. He walked away, and Kagome wondered it if it'd been a mistake to follow him, to even find out for herself if she was truly alone.

"No, please!" Her eyes widened when he had actually stopped to acknowledge her. "Please tell me what happened to them. Are we the only ones ... in this time?"

Sesshoumaru turned around, his golden eyes blazing at her. Kagome knew that even through time nothing affected him. He still had no use for the affairs of others.

"You'd be better not knowing. Go on with your life, girl, and be thankful the past mended itself well enough without you."

He walked away, and she knew he was stubborn.

But she was stubborn too, and tomorrow she would follow him again. She would follow him until he told her exactly how they managed to defeat Naraku without her.


	71. Her Name

**Pairing: **Sess/Kag

**Word Count:** 250  
**Genre:** Introspective/Romance  
**Spoilers:** None, Canon  
**Warnings:** adult-oriented implications

**Summary:** When he says her name, she breaks away just a little.

* * *

Her Name

Every time he says her name, her heart breaks a little - and it becomes his.

He says her name under his breath, in a growl, in a huff, and when he's tight inside her, her name comes out in a controlled moan. Her name is elastic, its origin in her and stretching to finish in him.

He says her name in silence, and she knows it wades in his eyes, unsure, perplexed - satiated.

They both can not believe they're here, saying each other's names beyond war, beyond formality, beyond time, and beyond the sheets of her bed.

The first time she hears her name, he says it with incredulity. How is she still alive? He says her name and it's unusual, a dangling memory that flares back at him. They find each other, wound up loosely in strings of fate.

She remembers when he was above her, an elusive sky-god that would have never given her a second thought. The first time he says her name, she thinks it is an illusion. Only in the second and third time does it feel real, stirring her blood by the loneliness in his eyes. Kagome now knows that time has sent the sky-god earth bound, and unwillingly he comes to her. He knows her name, and that's where they begin.

When he says her name against her skin, she breaks completely. She knows he utters her name because he remembers her, the miko he knows last and first.


	72. Grave Digger

**Theme: Fire**

Grave Digger

The hot summer heat surged through the first layer of her skin like fire. She dug her hands into the earth, mud coating her fingers with sweat and tears. Her cries soon turned inaudible, and the ceramic urn seared her hands as she dug her brother's grave next to her father's. Kohaku was long gone, and there was no jewel to save him - no otherworldly power that would resurrect his earthly form.

She hiccuped, and she placed the urn softly into the hollowed out bed of soil. She stared at it, tears still streaming down her cheeks. The others were not here, respecting her from a distance, and she and her brother were left alone. Before she could move the earth blanket over her brother's remains, she lifted the urn back into her lap again, popping off the lid. Hesitantly, she looked inside one last time, the fresh ash still hot from the funeral.

"Kohaku," she said aloud, her phrase caught by the lonely breeze. She sighed heavily, twisting the lid back onto the urn, relishing in the heat that still radiated onto her hands. "Goodbye."

Closing her eyes, her hands methodically shifted the dirt over the grave. She looked up into the young evening sky. Sighing, the smoke from the funeral pyre was quickly dissipating, the remnants of her sadness fading into the horizon.

Sango bent her head, clasped her hands together and remembered. Loss burned in her heart, firing and glazing into a hardened stone.


	73. Old Days of Autumn

**Written for the "Autumn" theme at ebony-silks on Livejournal.**

Old Days of Autumn

The changing days of autumn felt so different now than in feudal times. Sesshoumaru remembered when seasons were much more appreciated in the past, and villagers and youkai alike paid more attention to the turn of the seasons.

Though the leaves still colored and autumn still came. However, besides the more traditional people, the bustling working class of Japan barely noticed nature, and Sesshoumaru wondered if any of the humans ever took out time to remember the ancient world before modernization.

"Professor, do you have a minute?" He turned around and looked into the admiring eyes of his most exceptional student, Kagome Higurashi. He cautioned his thin lips back from a smile.

"What is it, Higurashi-san?"

She smiled brightly at him. He inwardly wondered if she even knew who he was underneath the masking spells. From the way she paid attention and hung on his every word in class, he supposed that maybe something had drawn them together after all these years. Fate was funny, indeed.

"It's about my paper on the feudal era? I know it's a couple days early," she said, pausing to smile sheepishly, "but I was wondering if you would look it over?"

A breeze of fall leaves whisked behind her, and hesitantly, Sesshoumaru let out a curt nod and took her paper, pausing and unintentionally getting lost in her deep eyes.

At least he knew of one human in this era who aspired to remember the old ways.


	74. The Hunt

**Ebonysilks theme:** Feral

**Pairing:** Kagome/Sesshoumaru

* * *

The Hunt

In the dry chilled air, she woke with a start, and a high-pitched noise crowed from the shadows and pinched at her nerves. Kagome remained still in her sleeping bag, shivering, and she couldn't get the sounds of the night out of her head.

Her companions were stilled in their sleep.

A loud shrilled echo through the trees made her gasp, and immediately she stood up.

Cautiously, she crept toward the sound, denying her rational mind to stay huddled in her bed – safe.

For what it seemed mere seconds, Kagome journeyed deeper into the forest, and when blood splattered at her feet, she stopped. She held back her breath, watching with fascination at the scene before her.

It was disgusting and terrifying, and it strangled her pure soul. Tears welled in her eyes, but she could not turn away.

The Taiyoukai was on the hunt, tearing at his victim and gorging his meal. Red eyes burned, and he howled in the night. Lesser creatures scurried far, far away with his dominion pronounced.

Yet, Kagome watched him, fascinated with his primal beauty – unable to tear her eyes away from Sesshoumaru engaging in one of his basest desires.

His silver hair was still immaculate amidst the carnage, and a feast so raw and male stirred her, scratching lightly over her feminine core.

Bewitched by his blood-lust, she traced her hand lightly down the soft moss of the tree. The sight of him burned into her memory, awakening her own untamed spirit below.


	75. Peaceful

**Theme: Sleep**

**Pairings: Inu/Kag, Mir/San**

* * *

**Peaceful**

"They're asleep," Sango said, waving a fluffy dandelion in front of Kagome's face. Her nose wrinkled, yet she was still deep asleep. She leaned comfortably against Inuyasha's shoulder as he settled against a tree.

"Ah," Miroku said, looking at the duo thoughtfully. "Kagome-sama and Inuyasha-sama are more peaceful when they are sleeping together in contrast to when they are awake."

Sango cocked an eyebrow at him, wondering if he intended to mirror their own awkward relationship. She huffed lightly. "They fight because they like each other." Sango waved the dandelion seedling in the air, and the breeze finally caught it, scattering the seeds. The stars began to shine as dusk settled, and their companions appeared too exhausted to help them set up camp.

"Shouldn't we wake them to help us?" Sango complained, though inwardly she knew it'd be wrong to disturb their peace.

Miroku turned to her and took her hand. Instantly she blushed, but she was wary of the intentions behind his bright smile. "I think we should let them sleep, dear Sango-sama. It would be unjust to disturb them and ruin this quiet night. With Kirara and Shippou asleep too, it looks to be just you and me tonight." His tone was smooth, and he seemed to be moving closer.

Though, in the past, Sango would have flung him aside and given him a physical warning. Instead, she started to lean closer to him teasingly, and spoke in a dangerous yet sultry voice. "Don't get any ideas, Houshi-sama."


	76. Safe by You

**Title:** Safe by You  
**Characters:** Rin+Sesshoumaru  
**Word count:** 250  
**Notes/Spoilers:** spoilers for manga chapter 519. Written iyissskiwa's "Haven" Theme at Livejournal. Winner of 3rd place.

**Summary:** Rin contemplates on why Sesshoumaru left her behind.

* * *

Rin frowned at the blackened distant sky. She was sure that Sesshoumaru-sama was mad at her. She had tried everything she could to stop him from leaving them behind.

For the majority of her rejuvenated life, she had always been by Sesshoumaru-sama's side. While traveling with a powerful demon, danger often met them on their journey to find Naraku.

So why did Sesshoumaru decide to leave them behind now? Rin looked around, scanning the village. A temporary peacefulness blanketed the area, and the people seemed unaffected while the old town miko attended to Kohaku's wounds as his life continued to teeter over the edge.

Without Sesshoumaru-sama the village was truly safe. Quiet. Safe. _Lonely._

Yet Rin had calmed from her tantrum, and she contemplated why Sesshoumaru-sama would be so concerned with their safety now rather than all those times before.

'He must have a reason,' she inwardly mused. Anxiety balled up in her stomach, and she feared that maybe Sesshoumaru-sama felt that he'd not only endanger them, but also himself. Sesshoumaru-sama was very strong, but he was not impervious to death.

Rin shuddered, only wanting to be with Sesshoumaru-sama even more. She didn't want to be away from him if he was so hurt that he could _die._

Then, Rin thought the village didn't seem so safe anymore. Not without Sesshoumaru-sama. If it was one thing Rin learned while growing up with him, it was that safe havens were not always places, but within the people that mattered the most.


	77. Somewhere in Between

AN: Written for the "Friends" theme at Ebony Silks on LJ.

Pairing: Kagome/Sesshoumaru

Rated: R for sexual themes

* * *

Somewhere In Between

All her friends were gone - dead - and she was trapped here so she gave herself to him. They were not friends. They weren't really anything, and where definition never tread, they came together. Hot, sliding, and carnal and without the softest touch.

But she tried when she knew she shouldn't. She shouldn't have tried to raise his ward or admonish his servant. She was nothing so how could she? But the punishment was at least _something_ - the roots of her hair sore and the muscles between her legs raw. But for some reason, he belonged there. She had invited him. Always.

Yet they were not lovers, even though their bodies acted differently. Betrayed them, and in the heat of a common moment, she said she loved him, and he grunted in affirmation. And maybe he grunted because he was farther inside.

She moaned his name and pretended something else. Soon her true desires began to rot away like her friends in the ground. And then she looked up, and he would be growling over her. Powerful and in control.

But she did not love him, but maybe she could. He could never love her, but she thought that someday maybe he would.

Then they would come and move beyond the wordless middle - warm and without demands. And then maybe, he would pretend with her name instead.


	78. Begin Again

**Title:** Begin Again  
**Rating:** G  
**Word Count:** 239  
**Characters:** Kohaku, Rin  
**Notes/Warnings: **later chapter spoilers, written for "Starting Over" theme at iyfic contest on Livejournal.

He doubts the authenticity of clean air, the world without poison and monsters. But here he is, one day after the end of Naraku - one day where he can breathe the air and feel human again. In this day, he realizes he doesn't need the Jewel or the Light. He can just be himself. He can grow.

He looks down at his hands, and the blood seems to fade. It's the blood of his family and comrades, and the guilt seems somewhat appeased. It shows him that maybe he'll have dreams at night once in awhile instead of just nightmares. Maybe someday the blood will completely gone, along with his shame and pain.

He inhales the air deeply, and he hears chatter and laughter settle within his ears. He feels relief, happiness, and most of all, he feels something new.

Is this what it feels like to begin again?

Kohaku feels someone tug at his hand. He looks down into eyes that shine brightly, filled with blossoming promises.

"Come on and play with us, Kohaku!" Rin says, leading him toward a circle of village children who gather round to kick a ball. She tugs lightly, but she doesn't need to convince him. He takes a step forward on his own.

Days of the old fade into a yielding darkness, and he feels those unending fears finally dissipate. His new life begins here, and he can't wait to start.


	79. Practice

**Title:** Practice  
**Rated:** G  
**Genre:** Fluff/General  
**Word Count:** 295  
**Characters:** Inu-gang, with Kohaku  
**Notes/Spoilers:** None, really. Written for the "Mother" theme at 'firsttweak' at Livejournal.  
**Summary:** Kohaku notices that Kagome is very good with children.

Practice

Kagome waved goodbye to a group of giggling children as they returned to their homes in the village. She watched them momentarily, and Kohaku sighed next to her.

"Wow, Kagome, you're very good with children," he said.

"Well, she has to be," Shippou said next to them while they walked back to Kaede's hut to join the others. "She basically has to take care of two children, including myself. Inuyasha _alone_ is like taking care of twins," he added, referring to the hanyou's two personalities.

"Hey, runt! I heard that," Inuyasha yelled from his branch. He swooped down and marched toward him, and Kagome laughed at their exchange while Kohaku looked on with interest.

As the bickering increased between the hanyou and the fox, Kagome automatically chimed in to soothe the fight, just as she always did.

"Now, you two; don't ruin this peaceful afternoon," Kagome said.

"So, Shippou was right," Kohaku observed, and Miroku and his sister chuckled behind him.

"You haven't been around us long enough, Kohaku. Kagome keeps the peace between Inuyasha and Shippou," Sango said. Her smile widened. "Consider her the mother of the group."

Kagome cheeks turned pink, but Miroku had to add to her embarrassment. "Indeed, Sango. It's almost as if she's practicing for the future." His gaze shifted to Inuyasha and then back to Kagome, his eyes full of implications.

Kagome and Inuyasha stared at each other, and as they were put on the spot by their friends, they awkwardly looked away and blushed.

Inuyasha made an irritated noise and responded, "She isn't practicing, so stop those thoughts right now, Monk." His eyes met Kagome's, who was eager for his explanation. His gruff voice softened, and he concluded, "She doesn't need to."

Kagome smiled at him hopefully.


	80. High Heels

**Title:** High Heels  
**Rating:** PG  
**Pairings:** Sesshoumaru/Kagome, slight Inu/Kag (but it's not much)  
**Word Count:** 250  
**Notes:** No spoilers. Canon. Written for the "CEO" theme at Ebony Silks of Livejournal. 3rd place winner.

**Summary:** Kagome's imagination runs a little wild.

* * *

She thought of her new high heels.

They were, by far, an impractical pair of shoes, especially for someone who regularly traipsed around feudal Japan.

But what she wouldn't give to wear them here – _just once_, to see the look on Inuyasha's face as she gracefully walked by him in them, leaving the dénouement up to his imagination.

She smirked as her own thoughts ran wild. _Role-playing in your high heels? You minx, Kagome!_ And it was futile to prevent the blush. Good thing none of her companions were paying attention to her.

_Kagome as a teacher and Inuyasha as a principal?_

_A Secretary and a CEO?_

She wrinkled her nose and felt that none of those scenarios fit right, least of all, Inuyasha in charge of anything modern with a mouth like that.

_Sesshoumaru as a CEO?_

Inwardly, she yelped. Where did that come from? Since when did her inner voice suddenly take to the regal ice prince?

"Kagome, what's the matter with you?" Inuyasha snapped her back out of her reverie, leaving her thoughts submerged in arousing confusion. She looked at her dull brown shoes before meeting Inuyasha's impatient expression.

She sighed. For once during these boring expeditions to find the jewel shards, Kagome indulged herself a little on a wayward fantasy. She looked at her shoes, her feet aching to try on something different for a change.

Inuyasha was a lot like her normal, brown shoes. And Sesshoumaru, well, he was _definitely_ a lot like high heels.


	81. Earning Forever

AN: Written for the "Discoveries" challenge at IYWiltedRose at Livejournal.

Earning Forever

Since the day of her resurrection she's been called many things: monster, inhuman, and unholy. Any sane person would have flung themselves off a cliff if they were in her position. But she feeds off vengeance and moves on.

She exists like the monster they call her, but the woman inside her cries. She can't shed tears or feel the wrenching of her heart, but she can cry and scream and feel anguish.

Duty carries her on and muffles the pain for now.

--

When she sees him again, he's already given up on her and moved on.

She's beyond hating him, yet she can't help but hate the girl.

She hates her like she hates herself, and neither one of them belong in this world.

--

Only one can have him, and she knows this. Kikyou wanders on forward anyway.

She's dying for real now; she knows in her fake bones she can never come back. It's not some big discovery. This is her last sacrifice, and she is not scared.

He holds her in his arms, and she soaks in his warmth. The kisses and hugs and tears are all for her, and in a long time since the fire ate her skin, she feels something beat alive in her once-gone heart.

Inuyasha holds her in her final hour and clings to her like he'll never let go. She smiles despite what she is and knows that she has earned this.

As her body fades within his embrace she knows - this is what forever feels like.

END


	82. All in the Family

AN: Written for the "Boss" theme at Ebony Silks on LJ.

All in the Family

"This dish is too salty, miko," Sesshoumaru complained, putting down his chopsticks. He stared at her pointedly and expected her to make him a fresh dish.

Kagome slammed down her rice bowl and launched up from her seat. She snarled at him. "Well, excuse me. You didn't have to come over for dinner!"

"This was your idea," he huffed, rising from his spot. "I will depart since I have already visited Rin." Kagome glared at him.

"I think it's good," Inuyasha garbled, eating Sesshoumaru's dish for him. He didn't seem too bothered by their argument and kept eating.

"Hey! Don't eat that; Sesshoumaru will finish it!"

"Wench! You're not the boss of me!" Inuyasha growled, returning to his meal. Yet, Kagome was too mad at Sesshoumaru to fight with Inuyasha.

As Sesshoumaru began to leave without saying goodbye, Kagome soon chased him out the door. "Get back here and finish this meal I slaved over!"

Sesshoumaru ignored her, only fueling her rage.

"Onii-san!"

He stopped abruptly. She knew her words would get to him eventually, especially that phrase. Kagome yelped at his glare and soon found herself being dragged into the forest.

--

Their hungry, wet lips had no beginning or end. Reluctantly, they parted, and Sesshoumaru drew back from Kagome's flushed face with a satisfied expression.

"Do you think he suspects anything?" she asked.

"If you are so concerned, we can try to fight _more_."

Kagome paused momentarily but agreed with a devious smile. "Same time for dinner tomorrow?"


	83. Natural

AN: Written for the "Force" theme for iyissikewa at Livejournal. InuKag.

Natural

Inuyasha thinks it can't be forced.

It's something natural, and it happens within an open sliver of time, allowing the perfect amount of room to let the feelings go, unbridled and organic.

It happens without distractions, without people who gawk and snicker and make fun. And then, it won't happen. It doesn't feel right. They've already wedged a spot in that perfect time – uninvited and sullied.

But it can happen again – within the shade of trees and in the open under a light blue sky.

Sometimes it happens after a fight or misunderstanding, after tears dry and smiles reclaim the heart.

His favorite, however, is when it happens spontaneously. She's coming back from a bath or returning from playtime with the kids, and then he's grabbing her and pulling her against him. She's startled, but it's always the right time and the right place.

He opens up to her, and he knows she doesn't need to demand it; she doesn't need to ask or wish.

His lips slide against hers naturally and organically – fit perfectly there and perfectly with him. He's not really forcing it. To him, kissing Kagome is like breathing. He doesn't have to think.

It just is.


	84. Unmatched

AN: Written for the "Dominance" theme at ebony silks on Livejournal. Kagome/Sesshoumaru.

Unmatched

"Why do you two have to do that all the time?" The hanyou snorted and gave his brother and Kagome dirty looks.

Kagome shook her head, sighing in exasperation. "It keeps my miko senses sharp." She gave Sesshoumaru a glance to her side with a smile. "Besides, if I spar with Sesshoumaru, I know I'm not evenly matched. He dominates me, and it challenges me to try harder and become a better fighter."

"Indeed. Even though I am clearly stronger, the miko is a worthy opponent as she improves," Sesshoumaru answered agreeably. Inuyasha didn't like the way they looked at each other; it was as if there was a secret hidden within their eyes.

"Kagome, why don't you come with me and Miroku when we go help the villagers from youkai? That'll keep your senses sharp."

She blew out a bored sigh and waved her hand listlessly. "That's total small fry. I'm not wasting my spiritual powers on something weaker than Naraku." Sesshoumaru and Kagome both chuckled, as if it was some inside joke between them. Inuyasha appeared livid, but Kagome ignored him and turned back to his brother.

"Shall we go again? I still have energy to fight."

Sesshoumaru nodded, and the two of them walked side by side to the clearing where they normally practiced. Inuyasha glared at them suspiciously. He certainly didn't like how well those two were getting along.

Laughter filled his ears from a distance. His eyes narrowed, and his heart stung with worry.


	85. The Right Medicine

AN: Written for the "Hangover" theme at firsttweak on Livejournal. Inuyasha/Kagome.

The Right Medicine

"Inuyasha, wake up." He could feel Kagome jostling him. He opened his eyes and sniffed the air. What the --? It was like the dead of early morning!

"What is it, wench?"

"Are you still drunk from that sake?"

"Nope," he answered flatly. This better not be the reason she woke him.

"Sango tried to kiss you." Her voice sounded like an accusation.

"I remember. We were all drunk," he shot back defensively. He looked into her eyes, and her mood didn't improve. He sighed in a half-growl. "Let me guess. You're mad at me."

Kagome didn't answer. She just glared. _Oh brother_, he thought.

"Did I try to kiss her back?"

Kagome shook her head, but she still looked mad. Suddenly, her face scrunched in annoyance. Oh, now what? "My head hurts. I think I have a hangover," she whined.

"What am I supposed to do about it?" She didn't honestly think he could make her headache go away. "Get some sleep already. We have to get moving tomorrow, and I don't want you bitching at me because you got no sleep."

"Inuyasha." She still wouldn't budge from his side.

"What is it now?" he snarled at her.

Then, she pulled him swiftly toward her lips, and he felt her wet mouth opening over his. He was bewildered, yet he complied. Drunkenly, her tongue sloshed around in his mouth, clamoring anxiously for his taste. He felt the blood rush to his cheeks as she pulled back.

"There, I think that'll help the hangover," she said cheerfully, and moved back to her sleeping bag. Within seconds, she was asleep.

Inuyasha sat up in his bedding for awhile in awe. He didn't know whether to be elated or scared that he was hoping Kagome would someday get drunk again.


	86. A View to a Breakfast

AN: Written for ebony silks on LJ, the "Breakfast" theme. Pairing: Sess/Kag implied.

A View to a Breakfast

Traditionally, breakfast consisted of fried fish, some natto and a bowl of rice. Once in awhile, Kagome remembered her mother making Tamagoyaki or even American-style pancakes on the weekends for a treat. However, Kagome did not realize there were other types of breakfast out there, and she wasn't talking about food either.

She woke up that crisp morning and felt the need to take a bath. In her routine, she grabbed her towel and toiletries and sauntered to the nearby woods. And then it happened, like some sort of cliche and sordid trick that someone was playing on her. There, in the very lake where she intended to bathe, stood Sesshoumaru in his full, mouth-watering nude glory.

Clamping a hand over her mouth, she moved to run back to camp. What would happen if the ferocious, murdering demon found her peeping on him? Which limb would she lose first? Or maybe he'd just fling acid at her. That seemed to be his M.O.

But Kagome hesitated. Wait. Couldn't he totally sense her anyway?

Kagome watched him. He sniffed, his back still turned to her. He ran his claws through his hair and tossed the strands over his shoulder. Then, Kagome knew why she was still alive and able to witness this alluring event.

Sesshoumaru didn't care. She wasn't worth his time, and he obviously didn't mind if she saw him in undress. He was a freaking _demon_! When he transformed he turned into a giant, hairy, naked dog!

Kagome leaned back against the tree and treated herself the benefit of the morning view. If he wasn't modest, she wouldn't be either. Eyeing the naked form in front of her, she realized the gift of witnessing such a tantilizing scene.

She smiled. It was definitely better than Tamagoyaki.


	87. Kagome's First

AN: "New Beginnings" prompt at firsttweak on LJ. Post-manga spoilers.

Kagome's First

Sango saw that Kagome's face was green before she quickly turned to exit the hut. Sango winced when she heard the poor girl retch into the bushes.

"That doesn't sound good," Sango said, turning to Inuyasha, who stuck his head out the door in concern for his wife.

Inuyasha turned around and met their expectant faces. "What?" he shot at them gruffly.

Miroku raised an eyebrow. "Have something you want to tell us?"

"Keh. Like you didn't notice, monk." Inuyasha looked away from their prying eyes. Sango bounced to her feet when she noticed the hanyou's crimson cheeks.

"This is good news! Kagome-chan's expecting her first!" Sango tittered about and left the hut to bring Kagome back inside.

Miroku pouted at Inuyasha. "I'm hurt you didn't tell us. How long have you known?"

"Since the day you announced you were having number four. Kagome didn't want to steal the attention from you," he answered.

Miroku chuckled. "That's so like Kagome-sama, but this is our fourth, and you guys are having your first." He nudged Inuyasha playfully in the ribs. "We are more than happy to share the attention with you."

Suddenly, Sango dragged Kagome back into the hut, who appeared as though she wasn't done being sick. Sango was too excited to notice.

"We have to celebrate! We're both having babies together." She turned to Kagome, who just groaned. "We have to tell Kaede and the others! They'll be so hap— oh, Kagome, _ew_."

"Sorry." The poor girl laughed weakly and dribbled out of her mouth, and Sango took her away to clean her up.

"Ah, childbirth," Miroku said fondly, in a tone that Inuyasha didn't much like. "I hope you're ready, especially with the mother carrying a baby of demon blood."

It was Inuyasha who turned green this time.


	88. Scar

AN: Written for the "curiosity" prompt at Iyficcontest on LJ.

Scar

It was a child's curiosity that jogged her memories of what happened so long ago.

"Does your eye hurt, Kaede-sama?" the young Ami asked. Kaede was taken aback for a moment before reminiscing about the past.

She patted her eye patch and shook her head, relieving the child of her concern. The truth was that it hadn't hurt in a long time – so long she barely remembered. Though, sometimes it ached from the sting of memory, of what Naraku did and what sacrifices were made.

But the rough, scarred skin that healed over her eye was nothing compared to what she lost. She was grateful for the perfect vision in the other eye, but she scorned the monster that took her sister from her.

The children gathered around her wanting to see what was underneath, but Kaede declined to not scare them.

"Can you still see the youkai okay even though you only have one eye?" the boy Shingo asked.

Kaede nodded. "Oh yes, it doesn't bother me at all. I can still shoot a bow and protect this village."

Another boy, his face struck with awe, said to her, "Wow, you're that good, Kaede-sama?"

Kaede nodded once. "I am," she answered, and the other children giggled merrily as she ruffled the boy's hair.

She lost an eye and a sister, but she did gain the peace of this village. And maybe someday, she'd forget she'd once felt pain from her eye, or that a scar was even there at all.


	89. A Line of His Own

AN: Done for Forthrightly's "Come On" Valentine's challenge.

A Line of His Own

Shippou was staring shyly at a village girl, so Miroku decided to give him pointers. He leaned over and whispered a line for Shippou to use. His cheeks flushed hotly.

"Got it?" Shippou approached the girl cautiously as Miroku watched.

When Shippou came back to Miroku, he was grinning and the girl was waiting for him.

"Did it work?"

"Oh, I didn't use your line, Miroku. I told her I was rescuing her from a perverted monk. Thanks for the help!" Shippou left him with a smug grin.

Miroku pouted; he didn't appreciate being the joke for Shippou's romantic success.


	90. For the Better

AN: Written for the "Change" prompt at mirsan_fics at LJ.

Pairing: Miroku/Sango

Rating: R

Word Count: 320

For the Better

The nightmares are the first to disappear. In marriage, happiness fills her heart and washes away the dead blood over her brain. There are no more monsters to haunt her, no more ghosts to drag her back into the grave.

He holds her in his arms at night, and she feels warmth that's richer and softer than the flames from an evening campfire. He nuzzles his face into her hair, and she leans in and breathes against his neck. His arms relax around her, and he shifts his head. She breathes again.

Miroku chuckles, and Sango blinks out of her pre-slumber. She looks into his eyes, and he's smiling.

"You're tickling me," he whispers in that smooth voice that always makes her body weak.

"Sorry," she bumbles. She shouldn't feel so nervous. They are already married and have been for at least a few seasons. She notices his intense gaze on her, and her cheeks go hot.

He pulls her closer against his chest, and her nose rubs against his ear.

"I didn't tell you to stop, my Sango." His voice is playful, and Sango feels content and energized.

She breathes against the shell of his ear, and he shudders with a throaty groan.

Suddenly, his frenetic hands dip under her clothes and tug them free, and she sighs into a moan as he draws her in for an early morning kiss. Heat swells between them, and she watches him hovering over her, rising and descending, driving and pulling as he pushes her toward a swift peak. She cries lightly and feels sweat settling over her skin.

She gazes upward, and in his eyes she's reminded that nothing in her life is the same. Her cries are no longer for pain. Her nightmares have long been replaced by peaceful dreams.

The greatest change of all is the man who loves and keeps her, warm and guarded within their home.


	91. Living Artifact

Theme: Sigh  
Pairing: Kagome/Sesshoumaru  
Rating: G

Living Artifact

The background faded, and she stared at the figure in front of her and couldn't believe her eyes. No. It wasn't possible. A hundred logical reasons buzzed in her head, trying to deny the truth so apparent before her eyes.

Kagome disregarded the rules and stepped over the velvet rope to get a closer look.

'Maybe it was done in his honor,' she thought, and though it was entirely possible, her theory quickly was debunked by the next unexpected event.

A warm, stream of power shot through her, and she fell into a strange daze, feeling something force her to touch the face of the sleeping sculpture. She gasped when pebbles crackled and golden eyes opened to meet her surprised face.

Alarms sounded and people scurried from the museum, but Kagome was frozen in her place as the statue came to life and let out a long sigh.

When she finally found her voice, she uttered, "Sesshoumaru, is that really you?"

He extended his hand and touched her face in wonder as if he was still dreaming, unable to accept that he was finally awake.

"You… you have freed me?" he asked, and the question was loaded with so many intentions, and he stared at her curiously as they shared this serendipitous moment.

She could have fainted, but he stepped close to her in time to catch her. She smiled hopefully at him, and for the first time in five hundred years, she saw the ice prince smile back.


	92. Caught and Careful

Pairing: Miroku/Sango  
Theme: Laughter  
Rated: G

Caught and Careful

Miroku emerged from the forest rubbing his sore cheek, and Inuyasha looked at him suspiciously as the girls walked behind him, fully dressed and clean from their bath. Sango was laughing loudly, and Kagome was looking down at her hand in amazement.

"Wow, that slap was harder than I intended," said the girl. Sango waved off her concern with a flick of her hand.

"It was your turn to put the pervert in his place, and he deserved it." She gave Miroku the evil eye as he turned around to speak. His jaw clamped shut from the sheer intimidation rolling off Sango's face.

"Still, he barely got in a peek. We were already dressed. Isn't that right, Miroku?" Kagome asked with a subtle coyness.

"Ah, well…" He began, but suddenly he was silenced by Sango's sweet, strong palm to his face.

"Tread cautiously when you speak, Houshi-sama," Sango said warningly; however, he could see amusement alit in her eyes. "Your left cheek could match your right."

He chuckled nervously. "Kagome-sama is correct," he spoke against her palm before she drew it away. He saw her shiver and then compose herself. He dared not show his delight when he considered his lips against her hand like a kiss.

He grinned, but not too wolfishly. "You ladies were quick to find me anyway."

Sango eyed him suspiciously. She didn't like how congratulatory he sounded.


	93. Competition

AN: Written for the "Score" theme at ebony_silks on Livejournal.

Pairing: Kagome/Sesshoumaru implied, genfic

Rated: G

--

Competition

Naraku's demons flanked them from all angles, and tensions soared as they all fought through the miasma against Naraku. Through the thick smoke, Kagome fired spiritual arrows and dodged sparse demons, only to be separated by a wall of youki with Sesshoumaru. She could hear Inuyasha's voice nearby, but her eyes were focused at the current task.

As they fought along, Kagome started to notice with much annoyance how Sesshoumaru would outnumber her in kills toward Naraku's tentacles. She'd expected it anyway, but she immediately sensed the competitive streak Inuyasha's brother had. It was subtle yet noticeable, so she felt slightly ridiculous that he would act that way toward _her_.

She knocked off another demon and in a moment of reprieve said, "You know, this isn't a competition."

Kagome almost regretted the words coming from her mouth, but instead of turning around to lop her head off too, Sesshoumaru gave her a strange look of – _mild amusement_? His one eyebrow rose for almost a second before he knocked off a few more youkai.

She felt silly as he continued without offense, and she imagined a scoreboard of kills behind them: Sesshoumaru 500 billion | Kagome 10. She stepped out of her distracted thoughts as Sesshoumaru smoothly handled a near miss with a weak demon behind her.

She narrowed her eyes. "Showoff," she grumped, and the amusement was back in his eyes.

Their adrenaline remained high because of the continuing battle, but Kagome felt the air between _them_ become oddly lighter.


	94. Girl Unseen

**Rating:** G  
**Characters/Pairings:** Kagome  
**Spoilers:** end of the manga  
**Word Count:** 250  
**Notes:** Written for the "Mask" theme at iyfic_contest on Livejournal.  
**Summary:** She's just going through the motions.

Girl Unseen

When she finally admits that she's alone, Kagome puts on a different face. She smiles and gives her friends a shoulder to cry on, but she doesn't let them see the pain she's feeling herself.

She goes to school, concentrates on her homework, and she sees the world through a dark tunnel where her end result is her high school graduation.

Kagome admits to being scared. No one person's resolve can be that strong from determination alone. Memories and feelings have a way of seeping out of her heart into her mind.

But there are no Inuyashas resting in tree branches when she looks above her. The old well is just a well, and it smells of mold and dust and no longer simmers with magic. The wise old tree feels just like it has before: ancient, calm and unchanging.

Tears bleed from the corners of her eyes, and she's grateful she's holed up in her room slaving over her upcoming history exam. She shakes the old memories from her thoughts, and they fade like her tears as she starts over from the top of her page.

The next day she knows she's aced the test, maybe with one or two wrong but she doesn't blame it on a lapse in determination. She laughs with her friends and feels somewhat normal, like them, when she confesses to getting a few wrong.

But they don't really know. She never lets them see past her true mask.

Kagome Higurashi isn't really there.


	95. Maybe Poison

AN: Written for the "Bite" theme at iyfanfiction on Livejournal.

Pairing: Inuyasha/Kagome

Rating: PG-13

--

Maybe Poison

The group trekked down a long path from one village to the next, feeling weary as they'd all had enough of Kagome and Inuyasha's constant bickering.

"Ow!" Kagome yelled, grabbing her lips and seeing blood on her fingers. The rest of the group stopped to inquire on what was wrong. Inuyasha stepped toward her immediately. "I think something just bit me!"

Sango politely moved Inuyasha out of the way and inspected the bite more closely, and she crinkled her brow in concentration. Suddenly, her eyes went wide and she let out a worried gasp.

"Oh no, Kagome-chan! You've been bitten by a Northern Mountain Mosquito Youkai! You've been poisoned!" Sango said, and Kagome turned a shade of green before fretting like everyone else. "Hurry, someone needs to suck out the poison!"

"Allow me, my dear …" The monk offered, but was abruptly punched aside as Inuyasha stepped in. He froze momentarily, realizing where he had to suck the poison _from_, and then he noticed Kagome's deep blush.

"She could die, Inuyasha! Quickly!" Sango barked, and Inuyasha readily complied as he grasped Kagome's shoulders and covered her lips with his own in one swift, sucking motion. Kagome made a noise of surprise but then settled obligingly in his arms. Everyone looked on in shock, and Sango watched with a satisfied expression.

Inuyasha felt everyone's attention on him and quickly pulled away. "Damn it! All I can taste is blood! Where is the poison?" Kagome looked flustered in his embrace, and she said nothing as a glassy-eyed expression of euphoria settled onto her face.

"No poison?" Sango sounded flummoxed, and she leaned in and inspected Kagome's bite a little more closely. "Oh! I am truly sorry for my mistake. It looks like the bite is just from a regular mosquito. I apologize, Inuyasha and Kagome-chan."

Kagome made a light sound of forgiveness while Inuyasha still held her. The poor hanyou looked horribly embarrassed. Though he'd never jump to hit a woman, especially not a lady like Sango, he was fuming mad at the deception. Miroku, on the other hand, looked at Sango like he was not only impressed, but also madly in love.

For the rest of the day, the others were polite enough to release one snicker and move on with their journey without another word. Sango glanced back to Inuyasha and Kagome a couple of times, and she noticed the two weren't exactly that angry and regretful by the experience. It was more like they were finally _relieved_.

It was precarious to toy with an already ill-tempered Inuyasha, but Sango took the risk and helped put an end to their never ending tension. For the sake of the sanity of the entire group, Sango's little rouse had been a blessing for them all.


	96. Peacemaking Wives

AN: Written for the "Friendship" theme at mirsan_fics on Livejournal.

Pairing: Miroku/Sango

Peacemaking Wives

Sango's watched curiously as her husband suddenly bolted inside their house and sighed heavily against the front door. She jumped as she heard a succession of thumps outside.

"What's happening?" she asked.

"Inuyasha is mad at me," her husband answered sheepishly. Sango became suspicious. "He's throwing food at the house."

She stood up with fury flushing her cheeks. "What did you do now?"

Miroku put up his hands in surrender. "Now, Sango dear. It's only a misunderstanding between male friends."

"Misunderstanding? What could you possibly say to Inuyasha where he would throw things at our house?" Sango asked angrily.

"Something…about his male anatomy, perhaps? I don't recall," Miroku said innocently.

"Oh, brother. I'll take care of this," Sango snorted with annoyance, and she wrestled past her husband and stomped through the front door, dodging a tomato in her wake.

After a little while, the noises stopped. His wife came back with a serene and collected expression.

"What did you say to him?"

"I didn't say anything to _him_," Sango huffed. "I talked to Kagome and she took care of it."

Miroku nodded with relief awash on his face. "I can only imagine what my dear wife said in my defense."

"Defense? Don't be silly. We agreed that you two would clean our house," she said sternly, and Miroku wilted. "And no sex for a week, until you both learn not to feud like silly children."

"Yes, dear," Miroku said lamely, and it was the smartest phrase he said all day.


	97. Angel of Vengeance

AN: Written for the "Color" theme at ebony silks.

Characters: Kagome, Sesshoumaru (not shippy)  
Rating: PG-13

Angel of Vengeance

Blood.

It came in different shades of red. Sometimes it was so dark it appeared black. Kagome was covered in it, pouring out of places she was too sore to inspect.

She blinked when she saw an unnatural glimmer of moonlight. It was only Sesshoumaru. He looked down at her with something different than his usual stoic countenance.

"You," she choked out, her breath wheezing in her throat. There was blood coming from there too. She squinted and met his golden eyes. "What…are you here for?"

"Do not speak or you will hurt yourself." His voice sounded stern, natural in its inflection. However, he seemed softer somehow. His expression was mixed, crossing between concern and anger.

And finally, Kagome knew why he was here. She knew what his expression was telling her when he said so little

She coughed. She was dying. She looked up at Sesshoumaru desperately, and somehow with strength she didn't know she had, she reached out her hand. "Where are they? Inuyasha…the children… my friends…" She coughed again and tasted the coppery bitterness of blood and bile rising from her torn stomach.

Her vision blurred, but she saw Sesshoumaru bend down and come closer to her face. She never realized it until now – until it was too late, that she respected Sesshoumaru. She always knew there was something more to him than the fierce demon he was. She only wished she could have known him better.

"Inuyasha is here. They are all here," he said, his voice smooth and light, feeling like a lost song on a cool breeze.

She closed her eyes and smiled, satisfied. At least they were all here. She felt weight over her eyelids, as if something was comforting her as she submerged into the darkness.

They had all come so fast, these horrible humans and demons alike, attacking the village, harboring chaos and destruction and using weapons most had never seen. "Taken by surprise…we had no chance," Kagome whispered. She felt a caress down her cheek.

"Do not worry and rest now." He was still here, hovering over her like a deity ready to escort her into the next world. "I will make them pay for what they have done today."

Kagome felt warmer. She might have been smiling; she didn't know, but relief washed over her like a cool wave. He would fight for them. He would live on timelessly, battling in their memory, and righting the wrongs that had pierced them and stolen their lives.

_Everything is okay now_, Kagome thought. Inuyasha and the others, Sango, Miroku and Rin were waiting for her. She could go now, and when she saw them, she'd tell them not to worry.

Sesshoumaru would avenge them all.


	98. Fireside

AN: Written for the "Heat" challenge on mirsanficart on Livejournal.

Pairing: Miroku/Sango

Rating: PG

Word Count: 500

Fireside

Everyone was miserable. Blustery snow shut the group inside the inn, and they awaited the first signs of warmth to continue hunting the shards and Naraku. Sango watched as the members of their group had their own restless quirks, many of which that were getting on her nerves.

Inuyasha sat a few steps apart from Kagome, and he scowled as she did her homework. Once in awhile, Shippou would brave annoying him, and the hanyou promptly stopped him with a punch.

Kagome sighed languidly as she read her books. In moments where Inuyasha broke her concentration, she let out a 'sit' while still looking at her work. After the Inn rumbled from the spell, he'd swear and fidget.

Miroku, however, was content to shut his eyes and block out the rest of the world.

Since she couldn't, Sango stood up to leave as Kirara followed. She noticed the common room in the front had a fire pit, and she decided to warm up in peace.

Halfway there, she realized Miroku was following her.

"What is it?" she said, turning around, and Miroku looked at her serenely, unbothered by her irritated tone.

"Ah, I thought I would join you by the fire," he suggested with a smile.

She blew out a huff and walked head, indicating that she didn't care what he did. When they came to the front, they were the only inn guests at the pit. She sat down, and as Miroku sat next to her, she gave him a warning. "Hands to yourself."

Miroku put up his free hands in surrender and chuckled. "Of course, but are you sure you want that?" Sango grimaced. Well, at least he tried. He added, "It's cold out, and together we could generate some exceptional heat."

Sango's eyes widened at his audacity. Normally, that deserved a slap, but this time she was faintly amused. Anything was funnier than seeing Inuyasha 'sit' all the time.

"Hmm," she said agreeably, and then she shot him a sly look. "I'm sure we could, but I was trying to get away from the noise, not make more of it." She turned to the fire, and she could see Miroku's shocked expression in the corner of her eye. She refrained from showing her delight, but it felt good to give him some of his own medicine.

"Sango-sama!" Miroku exclaimed, and she met his eyes, still holding back her smile. "You can't do that to a man on a cold day and get away with it!" Sango inched back cautiously, and Miroku looked as though he wanted to jump her. Uh oh, maybe teasing him wasn't such a good idea.

"Well, I can," she said challengingly, and she let the smile slip. He chuckled and slid closer to her, and she let him. A cautious arm came around her and she relaxed when his heat mixed with hers.

They watched the fire together, but as Miroku held her, she could hardly feel the flame at all.


	99. Stress Reliever

AN: Written for the "Surprise" theme at mirsan_fics

Pairing: Miroku/Sango

Rating: PG-13

Word Count: 250

--

Stress Reliever

After some commotion, Miroku snuck out to a hot spring for some time alone. He wasn't usually one to lose his temper, but his rowdy kids and Inuyasha were getting on his nerves.

He hated to leave off without including Sango, but he didn't know if he could face her either. Lately, they'd been snapping at each other more than usual.

He dipped his head underwater, and when he surfaced, he froze when he sensed another presence. He jumped when two soft arms embraced him from behind.

"It's just me, Houshi-sama," Sango whispered, kissing his shoulder. He felt her breasts rub against him, and suddenly this horrible day felt much better.

Slowly, he turned around grinning. "Well, I wasn't expecting visitors." Miroku leaned closer, and when his mouth covered hers, they melted into each other. Her arms wrapped around his neck, and he slid them across the spring and pushed her against a smooth rock.

"Where are the children?" he asked.

"Kagome has them," Sango said.

"This doesn't seem like you," he said coyly. Sango blushed and looked away meekly.

"You were upset, so I was worried." He tightened his embrace, more grateful than aroused.

"I am the luckiest man in the world," he said, hoping all of his rotten days ended with surprises like this. His wife nodded, and words were replaced with kisses as they enjoyed the rest of their bath.

In the end, Sango had made Miroku forget why he was ever upset in the first place.


	100. Memorial

AN: Written for the "Rose" theme on mirsan_fics on LJ.

Pairing: Miroku/Sango

Rating: PG

Word Count: 300

Memorial

The slayer village is a graveyard, and it will remain that way until another group claims it. Until then, Sango visits often, lighting incense and letting the memories of a different time overtake her.

This time, she brings white roses and lilies for the graves. Her belly is swollen with child, and her new husband walks silently by her side. He has memories of his own, but they'll visit his birthplace at another time.

Sango stares at the house where she grew up, and absently she rubs her belly and thinks about her future. Her father would have been proud of her, and she regrets more than anything that he can't be around to know her child or meet her husband.

She feels Miroku's hand squeeze her shoulder, and he pulls her close and they walk along a row of graves. This place no longer sings with life; it only reminds her of all the things she's lost. It hurts coming here, but she knows she must.

She misses them, but she and Miroku know that it's better to not look back. Sometimes they just can't. She can't forget her roots, where she lived, and the people that shaped her into the woman she is today.

"Come on," he says, stopping in front of the incense. She's thankful for Miroku. She's sure her father would have liked him.

They kneel and pray, and Sango is relieved that Kohaku isn't among the dead here. With Miroku by her side, she is grateful that she is alive as well.

Sango takes another long look before they leave, and her hand falls to her belly again. She sighs. Yes, they have a chance at a better future, but every once in awhile, it is respectful to remember the defining times of the past.


	101. Future InLaws

AN: Written for the "Father" theme at mirsan_fics on LJ. Pairings: Miroku/Sango, Inuyasha/Kagome, rated PG-13. Word count - 250 words.

Future In-Laws

"Your daughter is a harlot!"

"Your _son_ takes after his lech of a father, and don't you dare say that about Mika!" Inuyasha stepped up to throw a punch at him, the man he considered his best friend, but the stern voices of their wives stopped him.

"What in the world is going on here?" Sango fumed at them, and the men settled back and glared at each other as their wives scrutinized them.

"I caught _your_ son seducing my daughter," Inuyasha huffed. "It's your fault, bozu. Mika is a good girl; she'd never rut with your twerp son."

"How dare you! Your daughter learned her feminine wiles from a different time!" Miroku said, throwing up his hands. "Don't blame me or my son."

"Hold on just a minute!" Kagome stopped them. Miroku and Inuyasha were astonished she was smiling. Sango was also unbothered by their fighting. "You're _just_ finding out about Mika and Seiji?"

"Um…"

"How long have they been sneaking around?" Inuyasha snarled at her, but Kagome was used to his temper. In fact, she appeared amused by his reaction.

"For about two months now. I already had the talk with Seiji," Sango said, and Kagome nodded next to her.

"Mika has talked to me. As long as they act responsibly, we're glad they're happy." Kagome beamed at Sango. "This means our families we'll be joined someday."

"Accept it," Sango said cheekily. "Someday you two will be in-laws."

Suddenly, Miroku and Inuyasha had lost their desire to fight.


	102. Crescent Moon

AN: Written for the "Dawn" prompt at firsttweak on LJ.

Pairing: Inuyasha/Kagome, Miroku/Sango

Rating: G

Word Count: 300

Crescent Moon

Out of respect for their friends' privacy, Miroku and Sango waited nervously outside the house.

After Inuyasha and Kagome's first born experienced his first New Moon night without any effects, Miroku had shared a theory that their infant son Sato still could experience something.

"The waning crescent moon. Sato is a quarter youkai, so this phase of the darkening moon could correspond with it," Miroku had told them, yet he was still skeptical himself. Inuyasha appeared intrigued, as if the monk's prediction could be true.

Inuyasha was a hanyou, but he had little to no teaching about a hanyou's growth. Unlike his son, Inuyasha had to learn about himself on his own. He even put aside pride to ask his brother for help, though Sesshoumaru didn't know what would happen to Sato either.

"Sato changed!" Kagome yelled, and immediately they rushed inside and looked down at the happy infant within his mother's arms.

Not much had changed about him. His usual pointy elf-like ears had softened to a human shape, and his mass of medium gray hair had turned completely black. His copper eyes had turned a shade of green. He cooed at them, while everyone fell into a collective atmosphere of relief.

"Looks like you were right, Miroku-sama," Kagome said, beaming at him. "I suspect at dawn he'll change back."

Inuyasha nodded, and Miroku watched as the young parents knelt down and slid next to each other on the floor, lost in their own world as they showered their son with love.

Sango turned to her husband, and she and Miroku quietly ducked out of the scene and went home to Rin watching their own children. After tonight, it was comforting to know unlike Inuyasha's fate, they would support their children during every new experience during their growing lives.


	103. Woman of His Firsts

AN: Written for the "Sin" prompt at iy_themes at LJ.

Pairing: Sessmom/Inuyasha  
Rating: R  
Warnings: some sexual implications

Woman of His Firsts

He remembers her as vividly as the moonlight. Sometimes the memory makes his stomach sick. Other times, he sees it as a lesson from the unforgiving whirlwind of his lonely life.

She meets him during a full moon, and her silver hair and golden eyes intrigue him, and instantly in her he yearns for family. She speaks gently to him, circling him like prey, and he fears she's going to eat him. Instead, she treats him tenderly. She traces her fingers lovingly over his face and through his hair. She sighs against his ear and says he reminds her of her late husband.

This is the first time he knows the softness of breasts, and the first time he lets another kiss him after his mother's death. He's lonely enough to feel her, to accept her mysterious attention.

She is the woman of his firsts, and he feels heat wrap around him in ways that he never fathomed.

The illusion shatters when she appears to him again with her son by her side. Realization is a traitorous dawn, and she notices her transgression enough to never see him again.

But Inuyasha thinks she can never understand his pain. She's a cold youkai like her son, his brother, and she can let him go as easily as a century goes by. Yet, she teaches him so much about human emotions when she is not one herself.

With her, Inuyasha feels the hollowing flaw of his youkai blood become even stronger.


	104. Patient Rewards

AN: Written for the "Ache" challenge at ed_ficlets.

Pairing: Inuyasha/Kagome

Word Count: 200

Patient Rewards

His lips slid over her bare skin as her chest sighed underneath him. Delicately, he moved his claws under her clothes and drew them away, exposing her in the waning light of the sunset.

He'd waited too long – for too many years and lonely nights without her scent, with far too many pitying glances from people giving up hope.

Inuyasha always knew that Kagome would return.

He found her lips and she moaned in his mouth. He shifted their bodies as heat pressed against heat. Fingers combed through her dark hair, and he rested his hand behind her head, pulling her closer and deepening their kiss.

This morning she came back to him through the well for the final time. For the rest of the day and days after, she'd become his. The ache of her absence quickly dissolved inside him. Hands blanketed her passively, and he cocooned himself completely in her scent.

"I missed you." Her words were barely audible through the heaviness of his breath. Quickly, he shed his pants, and she squeaked in surprise as he pulled her onto his lap.

Tonight they would soak up lost time and draw out this moment together into eternity.


	105. Reminder

AN: Written for the "Jealousy" theme at mirsan fics on LJ.

Pairing: Miroku/Sango

Rating: R

Word Count: 250

Reminder

As soon as he enters their house, she pushes him against the wall and slams her lips against his. She pulls at his clothes, and he notices the children are gone, and they're alone.

"What's this?" he asks, after managing to break away from her intense strength.

Sango's eyes are dark and heady, and he suddenly feels stupid for questioning her. He moves in tenderly and gives her a soft kiss, hoping to quell her brutal desire.

She doesn't answer him, and he doesn't press the issue. Soon their clothes are gone, and he discards his curiosity. Who is he to understand a woman's thoughts? He realizes she may have been jealous of him that morning when he conversed with younger village girls, still tittering at him sweetly with attention.

It's silly. His wife has no reason to be jealous; Miroku loves her until they grow old and die together.

She moans as he brings her onto his lap, but she stops him, and suddenly Sango looks at him sternly. "No." She pushes him on his back, and she squeezes herself over him, and he inhales a deep breath as he feels her warmth constrain him. She dominates; Miroku submits.

If it will ease her troubles and clear up her inadequacies, this is what he will do as her husband.

He pushes and the tension rises inside him. Sango puts him in place and reminds him that she's his wife, but he doesn't mind.

Miroku just lets her ride.


	106. His Cautious Heart

An: Written for the 'covet' theme at ed_ficlets on LJ.

Pairing: Inuyasha/Kagome

Word Count: 325

Rated: G

His Cautious Heart

He never fathomed it, never even bothered thinking he deserved the love that others around him had. The truth was often upsetting and left him grumpy for days, and he stayed away from human villages to avoid the sick feeling of seeing their love and devotion when he could not have it.

What woman would ever love him, a hanyou, that neither human nor youkai accepted?

Even the one woman who did had wanted to change him. He shouldn't have bothered thinking they could have had a chance at happiness. His hopes almost died when their fragile trust had shattered, and Kikyou had sealed him to a tree.

Then Kagome came along, and perhaps, he thought, his hope had renewed when she told him she'd stay by his side and would accept him the way he was.

Right away, he was cautious. He didn't want to give into false hopes and exercise the desires in his mind to have her, possess her, and keep her from the eyes of other males.

Maybe he didn't deserve her, but in her eyes, he saw something that maybe she thought she couldn't have him. She was weird, out of place, and not of this time. Sometimes he thought they were similar, both outcasts bonded together within a perilous and uncertain world.

Inuyasha soon learned that no matter where they were, as long as Kagome was with him, he felt like he belonged – that he had a chance to live the life of happy humans and find solace within the arms of someone who accepted him.

He watched her sleep every night, and sometimes he caught his name from her lips, and the knowledge revived his silent desires. She had changed him; there was no question about that.

With Kagome, Inuyasha knew he did not covet her in vain, and this time, she showed him that someone else was capable of wanting him back – for who he truly was.


	107. After a Bad Day

AN: Written for the "Luck" challenge at mirsan_fics on LJ.

At the End of a Bad Day

Miroku's day did not start out well.

All day misfortune stalked him around like prey, and he felt a continuous shiver down the back of his neck and wondered if supernatural forces were conspiring against him.

It was bad luck that he had underestimated the youkai possessing the village lord's daughter, and much to Inuyasha's amusement, he got sprayed with a nasty defense smell by a skunk youkai. He was lucky, he guessed, to be able to use one of Sango's slayer pellets to counteract the smell. (That is if you liked smelling like onions all day long.)

It was bad luck that one of the village girls remembered his past proposal and wished to keep the bargain, and though he racked his brain trying to place her from his past, it did not matter when he saw the disapproving look on Inuyasha's face. Only a bribe for food and help with chores had prevented the hanyou from storming back and telling his wife.

In all his bad luck, Miroku admitted to a constant consolation. The sun set and he came home to his wife, and as his children settled around him like warm pillows, he hugged her, just a little tighter and kissed her deeply – inwardly praising his good fortune.

Her touch had driven away all of his demons, no matter how current or how far in his past. He was lucky to have her every day; he knew this, but he was especially thankful on days like today.


	108. Power Play

AN: Written for the "Mind" theme at iy themes on LJ. Pairing: Kikyou/Tsubaki. 200 words.

Power Play

Kikyou didn't resist when the woman's long, cold fingers traced over her flesh, searching and absorbing the heat of her body. She let out a calm sigh, and the hand snuck under her garb, pushing away to expose more skin.

The woman smirked at her as she crawled on top of Kikyou, finding her lips.

Kikyou felt a spark of realization – this woman's mouth was as cold as her hands. She knew why she warned her about love. She scorned her about sin and weakness, as if she knew Kikyou would fail.

She tried to hide her smile at knowing the woman's secret.

She didn't mind that Tsubaki was right; Kikyou couldn't love anyone but she could pretend. The measure of either of their hearts was no longer significant. (They shared this hell together.)

Kikyou reached her hand behind the woman's head and yanked on a chunk of her hair. She crowed in surprise, and Kikyou flipped her under – reminding her who was in charge.

She tugged harder on the graying strands, and Tsubaki whimpered derisively. Kikyou scratched her nails down the front of Tsubaki's chest and stretched away her kimono.

Tsubaki knew the power had shifted in their game.


	109. Soothe

AN: Written for the "Quiet" drabble challenge at mirsan_fics on LJ.

Pairing: Miroku/Sango

Word count: 100

Genre: Angst

Soothe

The prayer beads constrict around his hand, but underneath he feels the burn, seeping into his blood and scratching across his nerves. Miroku looks down, makes a strained fist and frowns.

Naraku is laughing – right now; he hears the cacophony of doom echo inside his head. He doesn't have much time left.

Then, before he weeps, a soft hand rests over his curse. In her eyes, he sees the fear, but he also sees something else: determination. She still refuses to give up on him.

Suddenly, his brain lulls into silence. Sango's hope quiets the beast of damnation for now.


	110. The House of Autumn

AN: Written for the A-Z meme for "Autumn" requested by knittingknots, who wanted Inuyasha/Kagome.

The House of Autumn

"Look," Kagome said, pointing to Goshinboku. The leaves were changing, and autumn was fast approaching. Inuyasha looked at her curiously, and then she ran her fingers down the scar on the tree where Kikyou had once entrapped him.

She turned to him smiling. "I've spent many autumns here before, and yet… this one is proof that I will spend the rest of the seasons here."

He wondered if she was scared and regretted her decision to be here.

She turned away from his eyes and her gaze fell to the ground. Her cheeks reddened slightly. "I can't believe that I can now finally call this my home."

"You miss your family, don't you?" he asked.

She nodded. "Of course, how couldn't I? But I've grown up. This is where I live now. Some people in my time grow up and move away to different countries or different cities." She laughed a little and wiped away a stray tear. "I just moved to a different century."

Immediately, she was in his arms, his red haori wrapping around her against his body heat.

"Come on, there's something I want to show you," he said, and he pulled her along as his arm rested over her shoulders.

She'd been so lost in her thoughts, Kagome almost forgot that while she was training with Kaede, Inuyasha and Miroku had take the day off from demon hunting to make some improvements to their new home. Inuyasha started building them a house in the forest of his namesake so they would have a place of their own and no longer infringe upon Kaede and Rin. Days ago they started building, but it had only been a work in progress. She wondered how much they had accomplished when they had a whole day to work.

They stopped in front of the house, which by first glance looked complete. Kagome's mouth gaped and she gasped. "Wow!" Inuyasha grinned proudly at her.

"There are a few small things we have to finish, but it's pretty much done." He moved excitedly to the front, pulling away the willow reeds that made up their door. Kagome looked approvingly at their handiwork and followed him as he beckoned her inside.

"This is the best part," Inuyasha said, and as she ducked her head inside, he pointed to the center of the room displaying their fire pit. Her cheeks reddened as her eyes strayed to the corner of the room, with two mats side by side – like a complete bed set for them both.

Inuyasha followed her gaze, and he realized why she was quiet. "Oi, if you don't like it, I can make the beds separate…"

"No, they're fine," she muttered. "Perfect." She turned shyly to him and met him with a light smile. "We'll be warm now that the temperature is dropping."

He moved closer to her, and his nervous expression relaxed into a content smile. "Just let me know if you need Miroku and me to do anything else."

She shook her head and took his hand. He squeezed lightly and she grinned. "No, you made us a home." Her voice softened into a joyous melody. "I have everything I need."

END


	111. Together They Fight

AN: Written for the "Faint" theme for mirsan_fics on Livejournal. Pairing: Miroku/Sango. Word count: 100. Rated G.

Together They Fight

They crouched in the bushes, concealed by the shadows of the forest and the canopy of night. Sango inhaled lightly, and her weapon itched at her side.

Hunting demons was her life, and she fought things that made a normal woman faint at the first encounter.

She wasn't normal, though, and when men would scorn her, women would fear her. Once upon a time it used to bother her – alienate her from others.

Not anymore…

"Are you ready?" Miroku's breath was a soothing comfort against her neck.

When she nodded, they moved swiftly together, ready for the next battle.


	112. Silent Protector

AN: Written for the "Promise" challenge at iy wiltedrose on Livejournal.

Characters: Kikyou, Kohaku

Universe: Canon

Word Count: 340

Silent Protector

She tries to subdue her attachment. It's difficult, though, and she recognizes her own empathy as it swells in her chest every time she looks at Kohaku.

This is what she can do for him, protect him, and preserve the purity of the shard that sustains his life.

They move along the path toward Naraku, both with steady steps but full of disparaging thoughts. An encounter with Kohaku's sister has left him anxious and unnerved within his silence, and Kikyou walks a few steps ahead of him, mindful of his privacy as he follows behind.

Their steps sound piercing as they move, feet crushing over twigs and snapping apart hard grass. Kikyou hears him sigh, warring with his thoughts and heart, and she sympathizes. She knows he longs to stay with his sister, but he cannot. She longs to stay with someone too – to put off all battles just to be with the ones they love.

Though Kohaku's heart fights and yearns like hers, Kikyou finds a little peace with him. Companionship is foreign to her, and Kohaku fills that void despite her duty toward him. She does not have much time left to live, and her hope in Kohaku sustains her – for now.

She only wishes she did not have to sacrifice him – this pure boy whose life was so tainted and torn by Naraku the same as hers. But Kohaku knows what he must do, and he is not afraid, and Kikyou admires this, as much as it saddens her to use him in this way.

Kohaku catches up with her and walks alongside with his fear at bay and fortitude strong in his eyes. Kikyou wonders if her own strength could match his. Her time is glaringly shorter, and she understands the importance more than ever of protecting his shard, of protecting _him_. Yet, she will guard him until her false body can no longer move, even if Naraku rips her to shreds and soils her with miasma beyond repair.

To Kohaku, Kikyou makes this silent promise.


	113. Her Old Life

AN: Written for the "Miss" theme for mirsan_fics on Livejournal. Pairing: Miroku/Sango. Rated PG. Post-series.

Her Old Life

Sango remembered the time when she was fifteen years old. Her body was awkward and beginning to change into the solid shape of a warrior woman. She stood by her father's side with her back straight and her head held proudly as they surveyed the village under attack. The frightened people looked at them strangely yet hopefully, and the son of the village ruler stared at her in horror, for his perception of delicate women was instantly shattered when he laid eyes on her.

Her family saved that village, and with her killing blow to the demon, she protected that boy who first judged and feared her. It didn't matter; she enjoyed saving lives, and she loved what she was born to do.

Years later, she noticed the changes in her life. Her husband accepted her as a slayer and a woman, loving her more every day. Her children took after them both, and as they grew, Miroku and Sango passed along their legacies.

"Do you miss it?" Miroku asked, and she smiled warmly in thought. Some days she missed the thrill, the adrenaline, and the moment when her bone weapon cut into flesh. She missed saving people and challenging their prejudices about who she was.

But in the end, her family was avenged, and she didn't need to save anyone anymore. Ultimately, she saved the one person who meant everything to her, the one person who gave her a chance for a new life.

She turned around toward her husband and kissed his chin. "Sometimes," she answered honestly, "but I enjoy what I'm doing now. This is what I'm meant to do."

He stared at her, his silence pressing her to continue. She met his gaze and finally answered in a satisfied tone, "I'm meant to be with you."


	114. A Special Taste

AN: Written for the A-Z meme at my Livejournal. The prompt was "Kiss – Kagome/Ayame." Rated: PG. Anime-only. Word Count: 525.

A Special Taste

The human girl freezes front of her. Ayame peers into her face as Kagome's eyes widen when she gets too close. At first, Ayame scrutinizes her. She doesn't know what to make of her, why the girl is so special that she'd turn _her_ Kouga's eye.

"Humph," she grunts snottily, but Kagome doesn't react. Ayame comes closer; she can smell the girl's warm breathing on her face. _That's strange,_ Ayame thinks. The girl's scent is nice - more than nice actually. It's warm and flowery and mixed with other things she can't decipher. She's otherworldly, embraced by parts of nature that Ayame has yet to sense.

Leaning closer and closer, the girl is a statue, waiting and watching as Ayame moves within her comfort zone. Ayame's scowl disappears, replaced by idle curiosity and something else - allure.

Kagome doesn't seem human; she doesn't even smell like normal humans, but she is and Ayame starts to understand. She's lovely, and Ayame supposes Kouga is right about that.

However, Ayame still feels slighted by the wolf prince who would be her fiancé. She pulls back, and Kagome, naively, relaxes. Ayame surprises her with a small smirk. Her thoughts are abuzz in her head, and she still isn't finished with the miko yet. Rather, Ayame isn't finished with Kouga. The two males watch in the background (both of them almost forgettable only seconds ago), ready to spring to action if Ayame tries anything to Kagome. She won't, of course. Well, not as they would think.

Ayame leans in closely again, quickly, causing Kagome to gape. _Good_, Ayame thinks. She almost giggles in victory as she takes the strange girl's mouth into hers, capturing her tongue, and having more of her than she's ever thought she'd taste. Moreover, she kisses Kagome because Kouga will never have her like this besides in his dreams. Hands grasp Kagome's shoulders and Ayame pulls the girl flush against her. She's so shocked she's turned submissive in Ayame's arms. So the wolf princess delves her tongue deeper, prolonging the kiss, leaving their two male companions completely stifled and flustered by her impulsive gesture.

With a loud smack, Ayame rudely pushes her away. Kagome almost tumbles to the ground, but she catches herself and stares widely at Ayame as her eyes narrow into a glare.

"Disgusting," Ayame says with a harrumph. She tosses her fiery red hair over her shoulder and tilts her chin into the air. "Kouga, I don't know what you see in her." She cracks an eye open at Kouga, who doesn't know whether to be jealous or completely aroused. His face is as red as cherries, and Inuyasha's face is a close match as well. Ayame's expression turns into satisfaction, and she exits the scene back to the camp with the others. She feels Kagome watching her as she leaves, and Ayame wonders if the young girl may have secretly enjoyed it by the new and different scent in the air.

It's definitely not the response for which Ayame is aiming, but she can't really blame her. Ayame has to admit she enjoyed the spontaneous smooch just a little bit herself.

END


	115. Scary Stories

AN: Written for the "Run" theme at iy_themes at Livejournal. Post-Manga.

Characters: Kohaku, Miroku and Sango's children, Rating: G/Genfic.

Scary Stories

"Don't breathe. Don't even blink."

A heavy pause clouds them. The hot summer air feels thick around their bodies, pushing at their nerves and warming their blood.

"Stay still. Listen closely." Large eyes watch him, listening and following the instructions as if their lives depend upon it.

"You can't run. He can smell you. He will come for you. You're doomed."

There's a collective gasp. Hands reach for other hands. Comfort is needed. Darkness seems to seep into their minds.

"But you can win. You have to fight for your life. You pull out your weapon and let out a heavy breath. He'll catch your scent. And when he comes, _listen_; his footsteps come faster and faster and you have to be quick...You turn around, and there he is! He's growling and leaping toward you in the air!"

A small cry breaks out, but it fades quickly by his smile. "You're ready for him; you turn around and as hard as you can, you stick the sword into his gut, cutting all the way through until you can cut no more. Ignore the blood, the youki, and the smell; you're lucky just to be alive."

"Uncle Kohaku! That was scary!" cries his nephew. Kohaku lets out a deep sigh. At seven, Jiro shouldn't be so scared, but Kohaku assumes it's only natural. However, his father had once told him the same story at Jiro's age.

"It wasn't scary at all! I'll bust that youkai up faster than he can get off the ground," Sakura says with a cackle, but next to her, her twin rolls her eyes.

"You sound like Uncle Inuyasha. I'm going to be like Mamma! I'll slash that dirty youkai with my Hiraikotsu!" Nadeshiko says, and Kohaku can't help but smile.

"Yeah right, you're too slow, and you'd trip over yourself," Sakura counters. "Anyway, Uncle Inuyasha is going to give me Tessaiga when he dies. His hair is white, so he's old and ready to die soon." She pumps a fist in the air. "Then I'll be the greatest demon slayer ever!"

"What about me?" Jiro asks. "I'll purify them with my sutras. YAH!"

"You'll pee yourself before you get a chance," Nadeshiko says with a snort, and her brother begins to cry.

"Okay, you three, that's enough story-telling for today," Kohaku commands, standing up, and dutifully, his sister's three children follow after him, watching him expectantly. He pats their heads. "I think you'll all be great warriors someday."

"Really?" Nadeshiko asks.

"Even me, Uncle Kohaku?" Jiro says, pointing to himself.

"All of you. You have the best and strongest family any kid could ask for," Kohaku answers, looking at them all fondly.

He's grateful, at least, that his nieces and nephew are getting a good childhood. Maybe their lives will make up for all the years he has lost.


	116. Apologies and Fish

AN: Written for the "Fishing" theme at iyfic_contest on Livejournal. Pairing: Inuyasha/Kagome. Word Count: 250. Rated: G.

Apologies and Fish

Kagome jumped as Inuyasha dropped the wet, slimy thing in front of her.

"Here," he snarled, plopping down next to her and crossing his arms.

Kagome wrinkled her nose and looked down at the prize. Lovely. It was a huge fish. (Just what she always wanted.) She looked at it and then to Inuyasha. He was glowering but avoiding her gaze.

She was about to scream at him, accuse him of catching dinner just so she could cook it. She almost snapped at him but stopped when an errant notion occurred to her.

_Is he trying to buy me off?_ she thought. When couples fought, men sometimes bought women presents to show that they were sorry. It was different for Inuyasha. He wasn't the type to bring her roses or jewelry. No, he was a hanyou, and his idea of a gift was going out and catching food.

"Look, I'm sorry," she offered, and suddenly her anger disappeared. She didn't even remember what they were fighting about.

He turned to her cautiously, gauging her change in emotions. She offered him a smile, and his scowl disappeared.

"Are we done fighting then?" he asked tiredly with annoyance.

Kagome nodded. "Yep, just as soon as you start cooking that fish, we're all settled." Kagome stood up and started off back toward camp. Inuyasha gaped at her as she stole a quick glance at his reaction.

"Thanks, Inuyasha. You're the best!" She grinned and then skipped off, hearing Inuyasha swear noisily behind her.


	117. Like a Flower

AN: Written for the iy_themes prompt "wise" at livejournal. Pairing: Sessmom/(older)Rin. Rated: R. Word Count: 200.

Like a Flower

Long, slender fingers traveled a journey over the pale flesh. Goose pimples puckered over the skin, and her chest fell and rose lightly. She met the woman's anxious eyes, and she smirked intrigued.

She once thought this human girl was food. How wrong (yet so right) she had been.

"I remember when you were very young," she spoke idly. Her eyes danced and brightened with fascination. Humans grew older so fast. If she blinked, the girl might become aged and frail, dying on her last breath. Until then, she was _here_, young and pure - her body curved and tender of a young woman.

"I remember when you were very wise, Mama-sama," the girl said neutrally (as if in a trance), but she remained as she was, recumbent and motionless under the female youkai's frame.

She leaned to kiss Rin's lips, her silver hair fanning over the young woman like blinding sunlight. "I still am," the centuries-old youkai whispered. The girl, who was usually so innocent, so dutiful, rewarded her with an alluring smile.

The human woman's eyes fluttered to a close, and the youkai's fingers caressed the lovely skin again, trailing farther down from her breastbone to her thighs.


	118. Ever After

AN: Written for the "in the shadows" theme at iyfic_contest at Livejournal. Pairing: Sessmom/Inuyasha. Rated: PG. Word Count: 250.

Ever After

She finds him hiding in the forest like a ghost likely to become a legend. She lands softly next to him as he snores under a tree. He wakes to her presence, and when he realizes who she is, he relaxes slightly and makes a sour face.

"Oh, my little one, why do you do this to yourself?" she asks, and he scoffs at her. "Your mate is dead, and your descendants barely recognize you, yet you toil in the shadows alone."

"Why do you care?" he snarls, and he meets her golden eyes and her impassive face. She smiles slightly, and his face flushes. She supposes he hasn't reacted like that in awhile. She's begun to miss it since the last time she's seen him.

"Years ago when you were nothing I asked you to join me. My offer still stands, Inuyasha." She holds out her hand, and he stiffens only to succumb when she rubs a hand down his cheek. He closes his eyes as a heavy breath escapes.

He swallows hard. "Ha! What will your son think?"

She chuckles arrogantly. "Sesshoumaru does not choose for me." She beckons him again. "Come."

Since he no longer has anything left in this human world, Inuyasha accepts. He jumps onto her silvery back as she transforms, and together they fly into the sky. Inuyasha leaves his home behind him, lulling within his memories.

Then, with this woman who's always wanted him, he begins his life anew - all over again.


	119. Lucky Moon

AN: Written for the "moon watching" theme on firsttweak at Livejournal. Pairing: Inu/Kag. Word Count: 300. Rated: G.

Lucky Moon

They were running, and she giggled while she pulled his hand and weaved through the forest, drawing him closer to the field of flowers.

"Come on!" she said, and Inuyasha caught a glimpse of her face in the moonlight, her eyes bright from excitement. He humored her, going along with this impulse that pulled them from their beds.

"Look!" They stopped at the edge. Inuyasha followed her gaze up to the moon, full with just a sliver of smoky black creeping on the edge.

He heard her sigh heavily, sitting onto the ground and waiting for him to join her. She patted the spot next to her. Reluctantly, he sat, and he scoffed a little, looking into the dark sky of fading stars. "It's just a moon."

"Just _look_ at it," she demanded, still wearing a smile. She reclined backward, and her hair fanned out over the flowers.

He mimicked her motions, sighing heavily as he watched the moon and let the quiet night by Kagome's side pull him into a serene lull.

"Huh," he said, looking more carefully at the moon. He could feel her practically grinning next to him.

"A lunar eclipse," she said happily.

He turned toward her. "How did you know?"

"I didn't," she said as he met her eyes. Even after six years of marriage, he still felt like he could drown in them, and die happy. "I just wanted to see the moon... with you."

He cracked a small smile, and he whispered. "I guess we're lucky then, huh."

Her voice was like a whisper against his heart. "Yes, we are."

Kagome took his hand, looked at the moon again, and then back to him. Her eyes didn't waver. Her hand squeezed his, and he felt the warmth created there, reminding him of home.


	120. Still a Slayer

AN: Written for the "Whisper" perfect drabble theme at mirsan_fics on Livejournal. Post-Manga. Pairing: Miroku/Sango.

Still a Slayer

The men in the village whispered about her.

They said she'd gone soft - settled down, had children and wasn't a warrior anymore.

"_That'll happen to young women; eventually they know their place," said one._

It angered her. (She still knew ten or more different ways to kill a man.)

"_Probably can't even lift that weapon anymore."_

So proving them wrong, her husband watched her curiously (empty-handed) as Sango hefted Hiraikotsu over her shoulder and hugged a laundry basket with her other arm.

The villagers watched her - _speechless_ - while they both walked past them toward the nearest spring.


	121. Sesshoumaru's Stalker

AN: Written for the "Opposites Attract" drabble challenge at iyfic_contest on LJ. Pairing: Sesshoumaru/Byakuya implied. Genre: Humor. Word Count: 250.

Sesshoumaru's Stalker

Sesshoumaru was, unfortunately, being stalked.

It was irksome to the demon lord for sure, and unless the rogue revealed himself in the open, Sesshoumaru did not see the worth in wasting energy to pursue_ him_ - in order to whip his head off.

He did not like the way Naraku's minion looked at him, or more accurately, leered at him from the shadows and the night skies. Sesshoumaru would never admit it, but he sometimes forgot himself. He almost neglected his duties in watching his pack because of rising paranoid thoughts that the bastard would come out of the woods and accost him, and he realized his game - the true trap of this insufferable worm and he refused to fall prey to it.

Sometimes Sesshoumaru could smell him; the stench of Naraku was bad enough, but did he have to exude his scent so provocatively? It was unnerving, and Sesshoumaru did not appreciate the demon's advances toward him. (Even Kagura was not so suffocating.)

He was incredulous, though not enough that he'd see it as his _own_ attraction, merely a curiosity at the spawn's audacity.

Did he really think someone as he, Sesshoumaru, would ever look at him and lower himself to return those gestures? The scoundrel was devious, that much was obvious, but Sesshoumaru was convinced Byakuya was deluded as well.

The two of them couldn't be more different, more wrong, and more impossible for each other, and Sesshoumaru refused to waste any more time thinking about him.


	122. Thinking the Worst

AN: Written for the "Smile" challenge at mirsan_fics on Livejournal. Word Count: 250. Pairing: Miroku/Sango.

_xxxx_

Thinking the Worst

When Sango returned to the front of their house, Miroku was smiling.

She didn't trust that smile, not for a moment. She'd been married to him long enough to know his looks. This one spoke only of trouble. His lips were thin and wide, and his expression was so cheerful his eyes closed into devious slits.

At first, she thought the worst. She couldn't help it. Perhaps Miroku was hiding something; he did something bad, something she wouldn't approve of where a fight was inevitable. It could be her worst fear.

(Not another woman. Couldn't be - even though it seemed they were getting younger and prettier than her by the day.)

"What are you smiling about?" Her tone was slightly biting. She'd probably regret it.

"You'll see," he said beaming, and the way he was hovering in front of the door, she knew the revelation was inside.

Sango cautiously dipped inside, only to be surprised at the silence. While she was gone at the hot spring with Kagome, Miroku had successfully put the children to sleep. (They'd been a terror all day, which was why Sango had left to relax in the spring in the first place.)

"Amazing," she said, turning to him. He looked at her, perhaps awaiting an apology for her terrible thoughts. Instead of charitable satisfaction, she pursed her lips into a cheeky grin herself. "So you _can_ be useful, Houshi-sama."

By her husband's fading smile, she realized that wasn't quite the reaction he had wanted.


	123. First Impressions

AN: Written for the "stay" theme at iy_unsung_heros on Livejournal. Characters: young Midoriko, Inupapa. Word Count: 300.

First Impressions

She pointed her sword at the back of the powerful gray-haired youkai surveying the burning village over a hill.

"Stay where you are, devil, or meet the sting of my blade," Midoriko warned him, and he stood silent and unaffected by her threat.

"Stand down, young miko. I am not your enemy." She tensed when he began to turn around, meeting her eyes with ferocity among his mirth.

"You burned this village. You are youkai." She narrowed her eyes at him. "You are my _natural _enemy."

"Ah, such prejudice." She noticed the richness in his tone, tinged with maturity and authority. Was he really the cause of these fires? "I speak the truth. These Western lands are mine, and I search for the vermin who are attacking my followers."

She had to keep her hand from shaking when she realized just who he really was. "You are the Daiyoukai, the white dog that flies within the heavens."

He seemed pleased she knew him, though she firmly stood her ground, her sword pointing rigidly.

"I caught the sent of dragon youkai in the air, who are my enemies. They are the ones you seek for destroying the human villages." He paused and his brow lifted. "If you think I lie..."

"Perhaps not," she said, lowering her sword slightly. "However, you have given me a lead."

"Shall we find them together, miko?" he suggested, and Midoriko instantly frowned.

"I do not work with youkai, not even those as legendary as you," she remarked rudely.

"A pity," he said, and she felt uneasy as his eyes roamed her body. "We would fight so well together."

Midoriko considered it, but she was still unnerved. "Your reputation precedes you, Daiyoukai-sama," she said, finally putting away her sword. "Powerful, of course, but also a vulgar rogue."


	124. Modern Customs

AN: Written for the "holiday" theme at ebony_silks. Pairing: Sesshoumaru/Kagome. Word Count: 500. Rated: G. Canon.

Modern Customs

Sesshoumaru was an unexpected, innocent victim almost immediately when he walked through the door of Kaede's hut to deliver a dress to Rin. Unknowingly, he stood underneath the plant that Kagome had insisted on hanging up by the corner during that winter solstice, and as Kagome jumped to greet him (as Rin was out for the moment), her eyes widened slightly as she looked above his head and saw the _yadorigi_ dangling between them.

It would have been smarter to say nothing. After all, Sesshoumaru did not know the custom, and Kagome was sure he wouldn't care if she explained it to him.

Yet, Miroku had to complicate things by pointing it out. "Ah, Kagome-sama, you and your brother-in-law-to-be are standing under that mistletoe. Is it not a future custom to greet the other with a kiss?"

Kagome turned red, and for once, the stoic Sesshoumaru looked quizzical. Slowly, he looked up at the plant and then down at Kagome's nervous expression. Instead of giving her a murderous glare, which she expected, Sesshoumaru oddly seemed to be in good spirits and looked to her silently for more explanation.

"Oh, Miroku-sama, Onii-san doesn't care about that Western notion," Kagome said with a tremulous chuckle, but much to her mortification, the term "Western" piqued his interest. Kagome wondered if Sesshoumaru had dealings with the few Westerners that did come to Japan in this period.

"Explain," he demanded. Kagome released a sigh and hurriedly explained the folklore of her time where people kissed under mistletoe.

"Even if they are not _engaged_," Miroku said with some amusement, and his eyes looked wistful. "The people of the future have such innovative ideas." Kagome threw him a glare and returned her gaze to Sesshoumaru who was still looking at her contemplatively, making an awkward moment much more grating.

She sighed. _Well, here goes nothing_, she thought, realizing she'd probably be killed or worse, Inuyasha would walk in with his sword ready to blow the whole house up. She moved fast, reaching up quickly to give Sesshoumaru a peck to his soft lips. He stood as stony as a statue and did not react immediately, but he met her eyes again with much more animation within his own.

Kagome's mouth dropped at the notion that he did not look at her with repulsion or try to retaliate with his acid whip. Although the silence was unnerving, it was better than meeting his usual wrath.

"Strange," he murmured, placing his finger to his lips, which only fueled Kagome's embarrassment.

"Yeah, well, sometimes you are stuck kissing someone you'd rather not," she said wryly.

This time his look was murderous, and Kagome realized her offense. She laughed nervously and swatted him playfully in the arm. "I didn't mean you, silly."

Fortunately, he seemed somewhat appeased by her words; however, Kagome found it somewhat worrying (albeit curious) when Sesshoumaru, still beside her, did not remove himself from underneath the plant - especially after now knowing its intent.


	125. Company

AN: Written for the "escape" theme for fanfic_bakeoff on Livejournal. Word Count: 267. Post-series canon. Characters: Sango, Kagome (genfic).

Company

Kagome was spending another evening alone.

She ought be used to it by now; after all, Miroku and Inuyasha made a good living off of traveling to nearby villages and banishing mischievous youkai.

Though, she admitted to herself that she missed her husband. Of course, Kagome always looked forward to Inuyasha's return, and to say they made up for lost time was an understatement.

None of that changed the fact that he was gone _now_, and she missed him terribly. She also didn't like being in the house by herself.

Kagome jumped at a light tap on her thin door. "Kagome?" Sango called to her.

"Ah, come in!" she answered, quickly letting her friend inside. She was grateful for the company, and having Sango come visit her was the much needed balm to soothe her lonely thoughts.

"I was hoping to invite you over to stay with us tonight," Sango said as she hovered in the doorway, and Kagome could feel Sango's gaze on her face, sensing her loneliness. Kagome's spirit brightened at the thought. "There's no sense in being by yourself. Plus, I guarantee you won't feel lonely with three other children."

Kagome nodded, following Sango out the door. Her mood only soared as Sango's children raced excitedly toward her, yelling "Aunt Kagome!" and hugging her legs. Sango turned, watching them happily.

"You should escape this empty house and stay over every night the boys are out," Sango suggested with a chuckle.

"I'd like that," she replied cheerfully, and Kagome only wished, that after all this time, they had thought of this idea sooner.


	126. At First

AN: Written for mirsan_fics for the "hurt" theme at Livejournal. Word Count: 250. Rated M. Pairing: Miroku/Sango. Warning: mature situations.

At First

As expected, it hurts the first time.

It's not as bad as Sango has imagined. She remembers the day when she's talked with Kagome about it in great, frightening detail - about that horrible pinch and then the blood.

To think blood can come from something as lovely as this. (She's seen blood gush from dismembered limbs, entrails and gashes to the head.)

She hates how such thoughts intrude on her; this isn't the time.

He's gentle with her. He's so warm hovering over her body that she doesn't even mind the cold earth against her back. (Their discarded wedding clothes have shifted as they roll around in the grass.)

When he kisses her, it's almost a perfect distraction as he covers his body over hers, and she feels their limbs sliding together, rising, wanting - pushing and pulling for that inevitable slip.

It's awkward. Miroku is not as smooth as he's claimed. Or, he's so filled with desire he can't help himself. His hands go everywhere, searching, claiming her as his. She delights in his exploration; she can no longer control the little sounds escaping her lips when he's not kissing her. His fingers grace the heat between her thighs, and she arches toward him.

They move; he finds her - fills her, and it hurts. She gasps, but she doesn't allow him to stop. It doesn't hurt that _much_.

When he moves again - a steady rhythm - she hardly even notices it. He feels way too wonderful.


	127. Unhappy Return

AN: Written for the "cross" prompt at iyissekiwa on Livejournal. Character: Kikyou. Rated: PG. Word Count limit: 250. Early series.

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Unhappy Return

_I'm supposed to be dead,_ she realizes.

The last thing she recalls is pain from a mortal wound that takes her life. Her life expelled, she crosses the threshold of death through fire as the Shikon no Tama dies with her, like an icicle that pierces her heart.

_It was the only way_, she muses, and she feels the muscles in her brow contorting within darkness. How can this be? What body does she have?

It's not her original body; that's long gone, reduced to a pyre of ashes.

Cautiously, she opens her eyes. How can she feel warmth? She remembers. She fell off a cliff, but her body does not ache.

_Is this even a body?_ Kikyou blinks; she looks up to the heavens and sees blue. Birds are singing close by, alive. _But I'm not_, she thinks, but she can sit upright and move this unknown form.

Kikyou rises, noticing the dirt around her. _Grave soil_, she supposes morosely. Anger floods her system, and her heart aches. There's no blood on her, but she still smells it.

She clenches her fists, hating the world, hating the living singing birds - _hating Inuyasha._

She glances up at the cliff where she has fallen, and she glares at nothing, no one looking over the side mocking her _- You can't die, not even from a simple fall! How inhuman you are!_ Her chest tightens, and she feels hollow - _hungry_.

Kikyou's work isn't done yet; revenge unleashes her second beginning.


	128. Within a Thought

AN: Written for the "crush" prompt at iyissekiwa on Livejournal. Word Count: 250. Characters: Kagura, Naraku. Genfic. Canon. Rated PG.

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Within a Thought

Sometimes she imagines crushing him with the wind. He may control her heart, but he can't even touch the span of her imagination.

She knows she can. He's at least given her that power, and she's practiced it, on the wolf youkai, on humans. She attacks all of her victims like that and sees Naraku's face in every one of them. It's easier to kill them that way. She doesn't have a heart, so what does it matter? (It doesn't, and she doesn't even count the times she feels anything when she's with Kohaku.)

Instead, Kagura sits and waits. She bides her time. Perhaps Sesshoumaru will help her - _save her_. Perhaps she's just imagining that too.

_It's better than waiting for Naraku to kill me,_she thinks. Though, she's not suicidal. She has a sense of self-preservation; however, she also knows when she's the weaker one here. She knows that Naraku could end her with just a thought.

She glares at him through the darkness. Sometimes it gets positively boring, hearing his plotting and cackling about his grandiose schemes, but sometimes it's not, and though he tries to hide his emotion, Kagura can feel it - the moment when he's weak, when his enemies have affected him and his strength begins to fade.

When he hurts, Kagura continues waiting, remembering her place. She still stares at him with her ruby eyes, wishing the weight of her stare could crush him too.

Pity that is his power and not hers.


	129. Why Her?

AN: Written for the "sour" theme at iyissekiwa on Livejournal. Characters: Sesshoumaru, Izayoi, Inu no Taisho. Word Count: 250.

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Why Her?

The first time he meets her, the sight of her leaves a sour taste in his mouth.

She's weak - fragile, useless and so very _human _that it almost makes him sick, and he can't for the life of him see the appeal of such a creature. What is his father thinking? She's already heavy with child when he finds her, but he keeps his distance in the shadows as he tries to understand her.

Even the humans whisper about her, _shame_her - and their unkind, disrespectful words begin to anger him more than anything. He does not care about the woman's honor; no, it's his father's reputation he's more concerned about. Though, even to his father, whispers and shame don't seem to matter.

He says he's in love. Sesshoumaru scoffs. A silly human trait - an ability his mother has assured him most youkai are unable to possess. So how does his father find it? Sesshoumaru knows his father hasn't gone weak from this woman, and he would hesitate to ever accuse him of it. So, why this woman? This human bitch with her disgusting long black hair, bright and sickeningly kind face and scent of roses that saturates the wind.

She's nothing special, just another human whore that manages to entrap and bewitch the most powerful youkai to ride the heavens. This pitiful human bag of flesh that tore his family apart.

Why her?

And why does he, Sesshoumaru, need to keep coming back to see her?


	130. The Third

AN: Written for the "lavish" theme for iyissekiwa on Livejournal. Winner 3rd place. Word Count: 250. Pairing: Inuyasha/older!Rin. Warning: character death mention. Rated PG.

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The Third

That morning he hovers over her, watching her, with dark hair billowing out from underneath her head in their bedding. Her closed eyes slowly open as she rouses under the intensity of his golden stare. She looks up, meets his gaze and smiles at him - so innocent, so unconditional in her love for him. Inuyasha doesn't know how she ever came to feel this way about him; moreover, after everything that's happened, he wonders if he deserves it.

Despite all of Sesshoumaru's lavish gifts, the orphan girl Rin comes to him, even when his loneliness seems only sated by a woman from the future whose bones are buried in a soil that exists long before her birth.

Now. _It must be a sickness, to go to one woman and then to another_, he thinks, as he idly claws his fingers through her hair. She grabs his hand, and he pauses as she rubs his palm against her soft cheek.

"Rin," he breathes, and she's already leaning toward him for a kiss. Her small lips graze against his mouth and he moans, hungrily seeking her warmth.

It all seems so simple. Rin chose him, but she does not ask for anything more than his love. Inuyasha gives it, not only to feed the curse of his perpetual loneliness, but also to stoke the ire of his brother.

His brother gets everything he deserves, he thinks, but Rin's heart, so simple and so human, belongs to Inuyasha in the end.


	131. Silver and Black

AN: Written for the "contrast" theme at iyissekiwa on Livejournal. Pairing: Sesshoumaru's Mother/Izayoi. Word Count Limit: 250. Rated: G.

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Silver and Black

For a while now, she's watched her - the human woman who's bewitched her mate away. She's known about her existence for some time, and in the place where anger dwells, curiosity is born.

She can't turn away.

When their lover dies, she comes down from her throne in the sky and follows her in the shadows. The woman's frailty intrigues her the most. She can see how one could fall for her. But no. The way she raises her son, protects him and shields him from the angry world... Her vulnerabilities become masks for her maternal strength.

She wants to meet her, and will when the time is right.

The second wife is surprised. She can smell her fear on the breeze, and a smile curves on her lips. She has no intention of hurting her, so when she glides over to her, she sweeps a tendril of the woman's dark hair into her clawed fingers. So black, such a contrast from her own.

"Who...?" And it dawns on her. The second wife isn't so ignorant after all.

She lets the hair fall, and she smiles at her, feeling more than a little bewitched herself. "I just had to see you," she says, and she can feel the woman staring at her markings and gold eyes, falling into the past.

She can't help it; she becomes drawn to the woman as well, feeling the potential between them - _together_, and suddenly, she understands the heart of her former mate.


	132. One Little Chore

AN: Written for the "reason" challenge a misran_fics at Livejournal. Word Count: 250. Rated: G. Pairing: Miroku/Sango. Post-Manga.

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One Little Chore

Sango has gladly adjusted to her new roles as mother and housewife, and she has learned to put up with a lot from her children and her husband. Mostly, she deals with minor annoyances, but it's definitely better than fighting impossibly powerful youkai and watching people die.

Still, her patience is much the same, and like anyone, it runs thin. Miroku settles into their comfortable life with ease. After all, he's the bread winner, and perhaps this notion causes him to believe he can get away with almost anything.

Like... discarding his robes onto the floor after a hot, exhausting day with Inuyasha, while he saunters around the house in nothing but his undergarments. Well, he earns his reward, she supposes.

But what is the reason his robes stay on the floor next to the laundry barrel for the entire day? Sango cleans around it, hoping Miroku will get the hint. He does not.

She glares at the offending robes, her eye twitching as her temper rises. He's done this many times before, and each time it grates on her nerves. Hasn't she done enough that he can't do this simple thing and put his robe in the barrel with the rest?

Finally, he senses her anger. She meets his inquiring eyes with a glare that could evaporate a thousand youkai. He follows her glance to the pile and then back at him. Ah, he sees it!

Then, she watches in commanding triumph as he cleans up his own mess.


	133. Battle of the Sexes

AN: Written for the "OOC" prompt at **iyissekiwa** on Livejournal. Surprise Pairing. Word Count: 250. Rated PG. Ensemble humor piece.

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Battle of the Sexes

Tempers were wearing thin that day. After several irritating incidents, the girls were in no mood for the male element. Of course, Miroku and Inuyasha weren't doing anything they didn't normally do; Miroku still accosted Sango sporadically, and Inuyasha bullied Shippo and barked at them to walk faster.

It was hot too, which didn't help matters. Finally, the boys' habits just got tiresome and the girls had enough.

Settling down around a campfire, no one said anything except for a few terse words about their next day. Shippo was impatient for a story from Kagome, and frankly, she wasn't in the mood. Miroku braved a perverted remark regarding them in the hot spring, and Sango sent him a glare that almost turned him into a stone statue. Inuyasha looked longingly at the dark forest, and since Kagome was insecure already, she could only assume he wished that he was with Kikyou now rather than her.

Next to her, Kagome started when Sango launched her ramen cup into the fire and let out a loud, exasperated grunt before glaring at Miroku again.

Kagome turned to Sango, and the two girls nodded. The boys stared at them, sensing their obvious conspiring. Then, Kagome leaned close, and they heard an audible gasp as Sango captured Kagome's lips with hers. They broke apart with an loud smack, and they turned to the boys with angry eyes.

"See? We don't need you! And if that scares you, at least appreciate us a little bit more!"


	134. Chance Meeting

AN: Written for the "blend" theme at dokuga_contest. Pairing: Sesshoumaru/Kagome. Rated: G. Word Count: 100.

Chance Meeting

Kagome was surprised when she sensed his presence. Even more of a shock that _he_was the one that sought her out, two years after the well closed up.

Her face brightened upon seeing him. She wanted to hug him and laugh with happiness, but she composed herself, unsure on how he'd react to her exuberance.

Sesshoumaru still wasn't that talkative, yet enjoyed her company with obvious loneliness.

Leaning on her elbow, she met his gaze, smiling fondly. "You blend well in this time," she said, noting his concealing dark hair and human features. "But I do miss the stripes."


	135. Damned If You Do

AN: Written for the "catch"theme at mirsan_fics on Livejournal. Pairing: Miroku/Sango. Rating: PG. Word Count: 244. Canon Universe.

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Damned If You Do

Today, Miroku just couldn't catch a break.

Pretty much every female presence he encountered on their journey gravitated to him like bears to honey, and though in the past he would have welcomed such attention, right now was not a good time.

Especially when he'd been trying to keep his word to Sango and not proposition other girls in front of her. Or make her jealous. Or make her angry enough to bludgeon him over the head with Hiraikotsu.

But of course, he couldn't be _unfriendly_. It wasn't his nature, and he was a monk after all. So what if he was more than willing to write out some charms for a gaggle of young ladies that happened by their group and saw that he was a simple monk, thus instantly pouncing on him? (Inuyasha's eye-rolling didn't help, nor did Kagome's hard judgmental stare.)

He had to oblige them; it was his _duty_ as a monk. So he did, and he behaved as maturely and properly as he could toward these young women, and when they shrieked with happiness, he couldn't help but brave a look at Sango. Consequently, with his luck, she was seething at him as expected.

Yes, he couldn't catch a break, and so today would be another day where he'd have to dig himself out of that never ending abyss to win a tiny bit of Sango's favor.

But at least, he thought, Sango was definitely worth the effort.


	136. His Infection

AN: Written for the "mastery" prompt for iyfic_contest on Livejournal. Word count: 250. Pairing: Naraku/Kagome. Rated PG-13.

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His Infection

He crawls into her mind with mastery, infecting her dreams like a festering disease.

The girl is easy. She may have the potential of a priestess, but she's naive and she knows nothing of this time, nor of the magnitude of her gifts. The heart of her darkness is easy for him to find. His search is short, and quickly, after finding the wound of her heart, he builds a web there, spinning and weaving a cocoon of jealousy and fear.

How easy it is to make her hate Kikyou and distrust Inuyasha. How easy it is for him to infect her mind.

_She's lovely_, he thinks. Not as lovely as the previous incarnation, but she will do. She belongs to him anyway, just as Kikyou always will too.

So weak, so pliant. Naraku licks his lips, watching her from afar – a place where he is safe from her unpredictable power. Oh, he is no fool. He knows she can be testy. He understands that if he leaves himself open, she could potentially destroy him.

In that, she tantalizes him even more, and oh, how he wants to get his hands on her – to run his fingers over her skin, teasing and bruising every curve of her softness.

Perhaps in the end he will have her. Until then, he keeps his distance, letting his infection spread and do the work for him.

When Kagome succumbs to her darkness, then, Naraku will be ready for her with open arms.


	137. The Walking Shell

AN: Written for the "shell" prompt at iyfic_contest at Livejournal. Characters: Kikyou, Inuyasha, Naraku. Rated: PG. Canon. Word Count: 250.

The Walking Shell

Death had rested her, but rebirth had deformed her, stripped her of everything she was and poisoned the very nature of her existence. Kikyou had returned to the world a different woman.

Was she a woman? No, she couldn't even be called that anymore. Women had heartbeats, women could have children, and women could _love_.

She still had her emotions, yet they seemed murky and scarred. Bitterness rose above all else, bathing her like the fire that had turned her body to ashes. Everything else: love, happiness, and faith all seemed to sting and bleed like an open sore.

Her memories haunted her like ghosts, feeling alien and otherworldly like they belonged to someone else. When she looked at Inuyasha, tempted him and beckoned him toward her, recapturing anything they ever had seemed hopeless, fading into smoke just like her former life.

They could do nothing together. Even as much as she wanted to. Even as some of those residual emotions had come back, taunting her as if they were truly real - or even attainable, she knew that they were just remnants of her forgotten dreams.

No, Kikyou was nothing more than a shell. She knew this, and yet, her body still walked, and souls and revenge still drove her onward. The world still taunted her; she no more belonged here in this world than Naraku did.

With a solemn vow, she'd rid the earth of both of them, and then, finally - Kikyou would find true, natural peace.


End file.
